Lakhimpur Kheri Violence: Memorial service in Kheri may draw huge crowd, security up

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

Lakhimpur Kheri (UP), October 8

Tension gripped Lakhimpur Kheri on Friday as MoS (Home) Ajay Mishra’s son Ashish skipped police summons in the murder case that killed eight, including four farmers, and Sikh groups began mobilising for the next week’s memorial service for the deceased.

Hours after the UP cops issued fresh summons to Ashish for appearance in the case, several Sikh inhabitants of Tikonia, the crime scene, met to plan for “antim ardas” of four farmers and journalist Raman Kashyap to be held on October 12.

“We are expecting a gathering of nearly one lakh farmers not just from our area but from across states. The local sentiment has been severely hurt by the continuing miscarriage of justice and this is not acceptable. We are all gearing for a long haul unless culprits are brought to book,” says Pargat Singh of Tikonia, who was part of the October 3 protests.

The farm bodies have given the BJP government at the Centre and UP police time until October 12 to sack Mishra and nab his son. Sensing latent anxieties, the security was enhanced multifold at several sites. Rapid Action Force, Sashastra Seema Bal and UP Armed Police personnel were also deployed at the residence of deceased Lovpreet Singh.