Lakhimpur: Union minister Ajay Mishra’s son Ashish Mishra missed his 10 am deadline on Friday to appear before the police here in connection with the violence that killed eight people, including four farmers, giving rise to speculation that he may have absconded, sources said.
Deputy Inspector General (Headquarters) Upendra Agarwal who is heading the team probing Sunday’s incident waited for him at the police lines but he didn’t show up till at least 1 pm, sources at the spot said.
“Ashish Mishra has not turned up till now,” an official source said.
In a statement issued here, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha said, “…there is no trace of him (Ashish Mishra). News reports indicate that he is changing locations and is absconding, with several Uttar Pradesh Police teams searching for him.”
The morcha expressed its “serious concern and shock” at Mishra not yet been arrested.
As investigators waited for Mishra, reports emerged that he might have fled to Nepal.
Asked about it, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday said, “If this is true, the Centre should intervene and get the accused arrested from Nepal.”
After two men were arrested on Thursday, the police passed a notice outside Mishra’s house asking him to appear before it at 10 am on Friday.
The arrested men were identified as Luvkush of Banbirpur village and Ashish Pandey of Nighasan tehsil, two of the seven people mentioned in an FIR lodged by the police in connection with the violence.
A nine-member team headed by DIG Upendra Agarwal has been formed to investigate the FIR lodged against the minister’s son and others.
Four of the eight people who died on Sunday were farmers, allegedly knocked down by vehicles carrying BJP workers. Angry farmers then allegedly lynched some people in the vehicles.
The other dead included two BJP workers and their driver.
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 an event at that time.
In its statement, the morcha alleged that two other men — Sumit Jaiswal and Ankit Das — were also involved in the violence, but they are not being arrested by the police.
“There is only information on a notice issued to Ashish Mishra summoning him for questioning. The UP government and Minister Ajay Kumar Mishra are adopting protective tactics to ensure that Ashish Mishra roams free,” it said.
It alleged that Sumit Jaiswal was in the Thar vehicle that mowed down the farmers and was clearly seen escaping from the vehicle.
Similarly, a video clip where a police officer was seen questioning a person caught during the incident revealed that Ankit Das was in the Fortuner vehicle that was also involved in the violence, the morcha said.
The morcha demanded immediate arrest of Ashish, Sumit and Ankit.