Lakhimpur Kheri violence: Accused Ashish Mishra issued fresh summon for 11AM tomorrow

The Uttar Pradesh Police issued a fresh notice to Union minister Ajay Mishra's son Ashish Mishra asking him to appear before it by 11 am on Saturday.

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New Delhi: The Uttar Pradesh Police on Friday issued a fresh summon to Union minister Ajay Mishra's son Ashish Mishra to appear by 11 am on Saturday in case related to the violence at Lakhimpur Kheri in which eight people were killed. Ashish failed to appear before the police at 10 am on Friday.

As per the latest notice, legal action could be initiated against Ashish if he fails to appear before the investigators on Saturday. However, the minister told reporters that his son was not well and that "he will appear before the police and give his statement and evidence as he is innocent".

According to some media reports, Ashish may have fled to Nepal.

Earlier, the Supreme Court said that it's "not satisfied" with the action taken by the Uttar Pradesh government in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence. The Apex Court also asked the state why accused Ashish Mishra has not been arrested yet. 

Not arresting the accused is sending a "wrong message," the Bench, led by CJI - observed. 

A nine-member team led by DIG Upendra Agarwal is investigating the case against the minister's son and others. Farmers claimed that Ashish Mishra was in one of the vehicles, an allegation denied by him and his father who say they can produce evidence to prove he was at another event at that time.

Meanwhile on Thursday, two of the seven people mentioned in an FIR were arrested. They have been identified as Luvkush of Banbirpur village and Ashish Pandey of Nighasan tehsil. lodged by the police in connection with the violence.

As many as eight people were killed in the violence which tookplace on October 3, four of the eight people were farmers, who were allegedly knocked down by vehicles driven by BJP workers. The farmers, in a fury, then allegedly lynched some people in the vehicles. The other dead included two BJP workers and their driver.

(With PTI inputs)