Forensic analysis has reportedly proved that a rifle seized from BJP MP Ajay Kumar Mishra’s son Ashish Mishra was fired at some point. However, the analysis could not ascertain whether the gun was fired on the day of the Lakhimpur Kheri violence October 3 or on a different day, according to the Indian Express.
The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) had analyses four seized weapons and discovered that three of them; Ashish Mishra’s rifle a pistol belonging to his friend Ankit Das; and a repeater gun carried by Das’s bodyguard Lateef had all been discharged. Meanwhile, results of the fourth forensic analysis, on Das’s associate Satya Prakash’s revolver, are still awaited.
A police officer told the Indian Express, “Ashish’s rifle was handed over to the SIT by his family. All four seized weapons were sent to the FSL for ballistic examination. We have now received the report, which states that bullets were fired from three weapons, which belong to Ashish, Ankit, and Lateef. We will submit the report to the court as evidence.”
Several eyewitnesses alleged that shots were fired on October 3, the day when a VIP vehicle allegedly carrying Ashish Mishra, Das and others mowed down four protesting farmers in Uttar Pradeshs’ Lakhimpur Kheri district. Two BJP workers, including a journalist and Ajay Mishra’s driver were killed in the violence. One of the cars involved that slaughtered the farmers was a Mahindra Thar SUV owned by Ajay Mishra.
Ashish along with 13 others is facing murder and other charges for the October 3 violence. Currently, all 13 are in judicial custody.
However, autopsies on those who were killed do not show any gunshot wounds.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court had pulled up the UP government for slow progress into the investigation, including delayed results of forensic analysis on phones of those accused. The Apex court bench also noted that it appeared as though the UP police was trying to club two cases; one on the farmers’ deaths and the other on the mob violence that followed in order to “shield one accused”.
Farmers’ leaders and several opposition leaders have been criticising the Bhartiya Janata Party for allowing Ajay Mishra to continue in his position as the Minister of State for Home Affairs despite his son’s alleged involvement in the violent crime.
Family members of Raman Kashyap; the journalist who was killed in the violence approached a district court on Tuesday seeking another FIR (specifically on the journalist’s death) against 14 people, including Ashish Mishra. Raman’s brother Pavan in a petition claimed that the current FIR had no mention of the journalist’s death and police refused to lodge another one despite repeated requests, according to Hindustan Times.
