Illegally confined, not allowed to meet my lawyer, alleges Priyanka Gandhi Vadra

In a statement, Priyanka said that she has not been produced in front of a magistrate or any other judicial officer.

Priyanka sweeps a floor as she in police custody after she was detained by police in Sitapur on her way to Lakhimpur Kheri on October 4

New Delhi: Hours after officials informed that a case has been registered against Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the Congress general secretary on Tuesday (October 5, 2021) said that she has been illegally confined and alleged that she has not been allowed to meet her legal counsel. As per Priyanka's official statement that was released by Congress, she has not been served with any order or notice, nor has she seen the FIR registered against her.

Priyanka also stated that she has not been produced in front of a magistrate or any other judicial officer.

Referring to FIR registered against 11 people including Congress leaders, Priyanka said that eight of those named were not even present at the time she was arrested and that the police have also named two persons who brought her clothes from Lucknow on October 4 afternoon.

"I have been placed under arrest as verbally informed to me by the arresting officer DCP Piyush Kumar Singh, CO City, Sitapur, under section 151 at 4.30 am on the 4th of October, 2021. At the time I was arrested I was travelling within the district of Sitapur, approximately 20 km from the border of Lakhimpur Kheri district which was under section 144. However, to my knowledge, Section 144 was not imposed in Sitapur," Priyanka said in a statement. 

"No security car or congress workers other than the four persons accompanying me were with me. I was then driven to the PAC compound, Sitapur accompanied by 2 female and 2 male constables. Having been brought to the PAC compound, no further communication regarding the circumstances or the reasons, or the sections under which I have been charged have been communicated to me by the UP Police or administration until now - 38 hours later at 6.30 pm on October 5," she added.

Priyanka further stated, "I have not been served with any order or notice. Nor have they shown me an FIR. I have myself seen a portion of a paper on social media in which they have named 11 people - 8 of whom were not even present at the time I was arrested. In fact, they have even named the two persons who brought my clothes from Lucknow on the 4th afternoon. I have not been produced in front of a magistrate or any other judicial officer either."

"Presently I am not going into the details of the completely illegal physical force used on my colleagues and me at the time of my arrest as this statement serves merely to clarify the continuing illegality of my confinement at the PAC compound in Sitapur, UP," she said.

Presently I am not going into the details of the completely illegal physical force used on my colleagues & me at the time of my arrest as this statement serves merely to clarify the continuing illegality of my confinement.: Smt. @priyankagandhi pic.twitter.com/Hwyagg7Re7

— Congress (@INCIndia) October 5, 2021

This is to be noted that Priyanka and other party leaders were detained on Monday when they were going to meet the victims of the violence that erupted during a farmers' protest in Lakhimpur Kheri a day earlier. Eight people were killed including farmers and BJP workers.

जब नाश मनुज पर छाता है,
पहले विवेक मर जाता है।।

राज्यसभा सांसद @deependerSHooda के साथ ये बर्ताव भाजपाई की कायरता का प्रतीक है और @priyankagandhi जी का डटकर खड़े हो जाना साहस का।

विजय साहस की होगी।#PriyankaGandhiwithFarmers#लखीमपुर_किसान_नरसंहार pic.twitter.com/OXtpuu2JE1

— Congress (@INCIndia) October 4, 2021

Samyukta Kisan Morcha, a coalition of over forty farmers' unions, has alleged that son of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra Teni was involved in the violence. However, Mishra and his son have refuted SKM's allegations.

Meanwhile, a 5-member delegation of the Congress party led by Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to visit the violence-hit Lakhimpur Kheri on Wednesday, however, the Uttar Pradesh government has denied permission for the same. The Yogi Adityanath-led government has denied permission to the Congress delegation in the wake of Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) that has been imposed in Lucknow.

A five member delegation of INC led by Shri @RahulGandhi propose to visit Lakhimpur Kheri tomorrow to express condolences to the bereaved families & to know the facts firsthand.: Shri @kcvenugopalmp letter to UP CM. pic.twitter.com/5gbheTbIta

— Congress (@INCIndia) October 5, 2021