Lucknow: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing Lakhimpur case in Uttar Pradesh has arrested another accused Ankit Das on Wednesday. Das is the nephew of late former union minister Akhilesh Das and was the owner of Fortuner car, which was one of the two vehicles that crushed farmers while they were taking out a protest march.
Eight people including four farmers were killed in the incident early this month. Prime accused in the case Ashish Mishra, son of the union home minister for state Ajay Mishra has already been arrested last week. Police had earlier quizzed the driver of Ankit Das and pasted a notice at the latter’s residence asking him to appear before it.
While Ashish Mishra was arrested earlier, SIT was conducting raids in search of Ankit Das for the last three days. On Wednesday, Das himself reached before SIT and surrendered, which arrested him and produced him in the court. The court has given 14 days judicial remand for Ankit Das. Meanwhile, more arrests have been made in the Lakhimpur case on Wednesday by the SIT. Shekhar Bharti and Vakil alias Kale have been arrested from Lakhimpur. Both were produced in the court, which gave three days police remand of Shekhar Bharti. Bail application for minister’s son Ashish Mishra was also moved in the court on Wednesday, which was rejected. The court had already given three days police remand of Ashish Mishra.
However, the officials in the UP government have indicated that the members of SIT constituted for probe in the Lakhimpur case may be changed. Seven of the SIT members are from the Lakhimpur district police and few of them were present at the spot when the incident occurred. According to senior official, during the probe these members would be quizzed, as they were also the eyewitness of the incident.
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