Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra‘s son Ashish Mishra has been arrested by police after over 11 hours of questioning in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence incident which left eight people, including four farmers, dead. He will be produced before the court tomorrow. 

Ashish appeared before the special investigation team (SIT) in the crime branch office of the police line on Saturday morning. After interrogating him for over 11 hours, the nine-member SIT, headed by Deputy Inspector General of Police Agarwal, arrested Ashish.

DIG Upendra Agarwal, who is heading the special investigation team (SIT) of Uttar Pradesh Police probing the case, told reporters  that Ashish was not cooperating during the interrogation and didn’t answer few questions.

“We are taking him in custody on grounds of non-cooperation and evasive replies. He will be produced in court and sustained custodial interrogation will follow,” he said.

Ashish was named in an FIR after allegations that he was in one of the vehicles that ran over four farmers protesting over UP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya’s visit last Sunday. Two BJP workers and their driver were allegedly lynched by angry farmers in the incident. A local journalist also died in the violence. 

Earlier in the day, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) alleged that the violence was held under a pre-planned conspiracy and demanded the arrest of the minister and his son. The SKM also gave a call for a “rail roko” protest across the country from 10 am to 4 pm on October 18 and a “mahapanchayat” in Lucknow on October 26.

Ajay Mishra should be “dismissed from the cabinet and arrested on charges of spreading disharmony, murder and conspiracy. He is also protecting the culprits in the case”, SKM leader Yogendra Yadav alleged during a press conference in Delhi.

“His son Ashish Mishra and his associates, who have been accused of murder, should be arrested immediately,” he said.