C to hear Lakhimpur case on Monday as Yogi govt seeks time
New Delhi, Nov 12: The Supreme Court on Friday adjourned the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case to Monday, after the Uttar Pradesh state government requested the court for more time, stating that it was “working something out” in the case.
A three-judge bench of the Apex Court, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Nuthalapati Venkata Ramana, said, “We will take up the matter for further hearing on Monday.”
Senior lawyer and former Solicitor General (SG) Harish Salve, appearing for the Uttar Pradesh government, sought time till Monday, to carry out SC’s suggestion to appoint either retired judge Ranjit Singh or retired judge Rakesh Kumar Jain (both from Punjab and Haryana High Court) for supervision of SIT probe into the Lakhimpur Kheri incidents, including mowing down of four farmers, lynching of three accused and murder of a journalist.
The Supreme Court was hearing the petitions seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the Lakhimpur Kheri violence, wherein eight people had lost their lives, including farmers, who were allegedly mowed down by a four-wheeler belonging to Ashish Mishra, son of Union Minister Ajay Mishra Teni, in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri district on October 3.
The top court of the country had, during one of its hearings, rapped the Uttar Pradesh government and police over sketchy investigation, calling it to behave in a more “responsible manner” in the future.
The apex court had also, in its last hearing, said that the Uttar Pradesh Police is dragging its feet in the probe and shall dispel the same in action.
SC had registered a petition on its own, on the basis of letters written by two lawyers, seeking investigation by CBI into the brutal incident.
UNI