On October 6, the Uttar Pradesh government constituted a single-member Commission of Enquiry with headquarters at Lakhimpur Kheri to investigate the death of eight persons during the violence on Sunday (October 3).
A single-member Commission of Enquiry with headquarters at Lakhimpur Kheri constituted to investigate the death of 8 persons in Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3. pic.twitter.com/fGcS8JducS
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) October 7, 2021
The Commission has been constituted by the orders of the Governor under the provisions of Clause (3) of Article 348 of the Constitution of India. The order says that the Governor opined that an enquiry is necessary in the case of the series of events that led to the death of eight persons in the Lakhimpur Kheri District on October 3.
Justice Pradeep Kumar Srivastava (Retd.) of Allahabad High Court has been appointed as the lone member of the Commission to probe the matter as per section 3 of the Commissions of enquiry Act, 1952(Act no. 60 of 1952). Section 3 gives the power to constitute a commission by notification in the Official Gazette for the purpose of making an inquiry into any definite matter of public importance.
The Commission would submit its report within two months from the date of its constitution. The Government of Uttar Pradesh holds power to change the tenure of the Commission if required.
What happened in Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3?
On October 3, eight people lost their lives, including three BJP members in Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh, after protesting ‘farmers’ turned violent. They pelted stones on the BJP convoy. Social media was full of reports that BJP leader Ajay Mishra’s son mowed down farmers. However, more details emerged later that stated Ajay Mishra’s son Ashish Mishra was not present on the ground at the time of the incident.
As more videos emerged on Sunday and Monday, it was seen that the vehicle was attacked and damaged already when it ran over the protestors. One video showed farmers threatening a man in a white shirt to say that he was sent by Mishra to kill the farmers. He died soon after. The man was identified as Shyam Sunder Nishad. He was brutally lynched by the protestors at the site.
BJP worker Shubham Mishra and his driver Hariom Mishra were also lynched to death at the site by the so-called ‘farmers’. Shubham’s father said in his complaint that Shubham’s gold chain, mobile and wallet were stolen by the protesters who had killed him. He also named Tajinder Singh Virk of Samajwadi Party and Kisan Union leader one of the foremost perpetrators. The government has announced 45 lakh compensation and a government job to the kin of all who had died in the incident.
