New video emerges: ‘Ex-MP’s nephew was in one of the SUVs’

Police are verifying the authenticity of the video.

In the video, believed to be shot soon after the incident, a police officer is seen asking questions to an injured man.

The man claims to be in the same SUV as Ankit Das, a businessman from Lucknow and nephew of the former MP, who is allegedly close to the family of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra.

Following the farmers’ deaths and four more deaths in the violence that followed, an FIR was lodged against the Union minister’s son Ashish Mishra.

In the video, the man, who had visible head injuries, claims that he was in the second SUV – a Fortuner — along with four other people, including Ankit. To a question from the police officer, he gives the registration number of the Fortuner and says it belonged to Ankit.

He claims he is from Lucknow’s Charbagh area, and looked after Ankit’s accounts. He says he accompanied Ankit to Lakhimpur Kheri on work.

When a policeman asks him about the Mahindra Thar, which was moving in front of the Fortuner and managed to escape from the spot, the man denies any knowledge.

“Woh aage Thar sab ke upar chaddate hue ja rahe the, hum peeche the (The Thar in front was running over everyone and our vehicle was behind it),” he says.

When asked who was in the Thar, he says, “Bhaiyya ke saath the, unko maloom (They were with bhaiyya, he knows).” He was allegedly referring to Ankit.

Ankit did not respond to calls from The Indian Express for his response on the claims made in the video.

Additional Director General, Law and Order, Prashant Kumar said all videos related to the incident would be examined and then the investigating officer would take a decision on them.

A committee under the Additional Superintendent of Police has been formed to help in the investigation into the two cases lodged in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri incident. The committee has sought information from the public, asking them to provide audio, video or any other evidence related to the incident, said Kumar.

He said the last rites of all those who died in the incident and financial assistance has been provided as promised by the government. Restrictions on movement has been eased in the district.