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Two lawyers have written to the Supreme Court, seeking time-bound CBI probe into the Lakhimpur Kheri incident that has reportedly claimed eight lives including four farm law protestors, two BJP workers, a driver, and a local journalist leaving several others injured.

The petitioner advocates have also sought directions to the Ministry of Home Affairs to get an FIR register into the case in addition to the punishment for Ministers allegedly involved in the incident that took place on October 3rd 2021.

The letter by Advocates Shiv Kumar Tripathi and C.S. Panda, states that having regard to the seriousness of the killing of the farmers at Lakhimpur-Kheri, it is incumbent upon the Supreme Court to intervene in the matter.

Identifying themselves as liberty-minded public activists concerned with the upholding and protection of the rule of law in the midst of the violence-ravaged State of U.P., the petitioners state that the incident calls for the forthwith judicial interdict direction against the Union government , U.P. government and the concerned bureaucrats so that the cult of violence comes to a grinding halt.

Asking the court to treat their letter as a Public Interest Litigation, the petitioner advocates allege that of late, violence has become the political culture in the country now and the latest development in the State of U.P. is a burning example of the same.

Referring to the ongoing farmer protest against the three farm laws, the petitioner advocates also submit that the agitating farmers have been peaceful in their protest toward the justiciability of their just demands and claims for the reasonable deal for the betterment of agricultural communities struggling for their livelihood and are well within the meaning of Article 21 of the Constitution of India.

“They are now on the road representing the multitude of the masses of the Country beset in the on-going Corona crisis without any self-interest,” the letter plea reads.

Stressing that the human right violation in a democratic country like India coupled with the police excesses at the end of the government of U.P. is the scope, scale and ambit of the present communication, the petitioner couple plead for Apex Court intervention so that the guilty be brought to justice.

The Incident

According to the media reports, on October 3, 2021 an unfortunate incident took place at Tikonia Banbirpur Road, District Lakhimpur Khiri,U.P where at least eight people were killed as violence broke out during a protest against Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya and Union Minister Ajay Kumar Mishra Visits.

Reportedly, violence ensued in the area after the two SUVs, in the convoy of a union minister, allegedly ran over a group of farmers protesting against the anti-farm laws during the visit of Deputy CM.

However, the allegation of the crowd being run over is disputed. It is being alleged that the incident was not intentional as the car driver lost control of the vehicle when he got hit by something on his head following attacks by some violent elements in the garb of protesters.

On Monday while announcing ex-gratia compensation for the kin of people who died in the incident, Uttar Pradesh government has already announced that a retired High Court judge would probe the issue.

Also, a petition has also been filed before the Allahabad High Court seeking CBI probe into the matter. That plea has been filed on behalf of Swadesh and Prayag Legal Aid Clinic.

Furthermore, an FIR has already been registered on October 4 against Ashish Mishra aka Monu bhaiya, the son of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Kumar Mishra ‘Teni’, and 15-20 ‘unknown’ persons under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 302 for murder, 304-A for causing death due to reckless driving, 120-B for criminal conspiracy and 147 for rioting at the Tikunia police station.