Union Minister of State Ajay Kumar Mishra has said his son Ashish Mishra will appear before the police on Saturday in connection with the violence in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri district.

Eight people were killed as farmers protested the visit of Ajay Mishra to Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3. Farmer unions have accused Ashish of running over the protesting farmers. Ashish has been named in an FIR but is yet to be arrested by the police. The Uttar Pradesh Police issued a notice to Ashish asking him to appear before it by 11 am Saturday after he failed to show up by the Friday deadline.

Farmers call off Lakhimpur Kheri protest after probe assurance, compensation

Ajay Mishra said his son had skipped the summons on Friday due to health reasons.

Ashish has said he was not in the car and was at an event in his ancestral village when the incident happened, while Ajay Mishra claims the deaths had occurred after car in question had overturned as it came under attack from miscreants.

Mishra also claims that his driver and three members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party were beaten to death by the miscreants.

Two people, who were reportedly in the same vehicle that ran over a journalist and the farmers, were arrested on Thursday.

The Supreme Court issued a sharp rebuke after state Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath stressed that his government will “not arrest anyone on allegations”. Attacking opposition leaders rushing to meet the affected families in the incident, the Chief Minister said, “They are no goodwill messengers.”

Union Minister Anurag Thakur also condemned the “political tourism” in Uttar Pradesh over the Lakhimpur Kheri violence. “I think some people do not believe in the judicial process. Those who are doing political tourism in Uttar Pradesh over the Lakhimpur incident is unfortunate,” said Thakur.

Lakhimpur Kheri violence: UP govt appoints retired Allahabad High Court judge to probe

The Supreme Court reminded the Uttar Pradesh government that Law must take its course against “whoever is involved”, saying it was “not satisfied with the action so far.”

“What is the message that you are sending? Even in normal circumstances… will the police not go immediately and arrest the accused. Things have not proceeded the way they should have. It appears to be only words and not actions,” Chief Justice NV Ramana said.