Union minister’s relative first person to get bail

Lakhimpur Kheri violence: According to SIT, Virendra Shukla owns one of the three vehicles that killed four farmers and journalist in October.

Shukla is among the 14 people the SIT has named in its chargesheet, and the first and only person to receive bail in the case.(Representational Image)

Union minister Ajay Mishra’s relative Virendra Shukla has obtained bail from a court in Lakhimpur Kheri in a case related to the death of four farmers and a journalist in the district’s Tikonia area last October. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case has named Shukla in its chargesheet, accusing him of destroying evidence.

Senior prosecuting officer SP Yadav on Tuesday said the SIT filed the chargesheet last week, following which a notice was served on Shukla. On Monday, the Pallia block pramukh surrendered before the local court that granted him bail.

Shukla is among the 14 people the SIT has named in its chargesheet, and the first and only person to receive bail in the case. Ajay Mishra’s son Ashish Mishra is also among the accused.

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According to Yadav, Shukla has been booked under IPC section 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving information to screen offender). The others face various charges such as murder, attempted murder and criminal conspiracy.

The SIT has said that during investigation it found a convoy of three SUVs, including a Thar belonging to Ajay Mishra, ran over a group of farmers assembled at the Tikonia crossing. The protesters set ablaze the Thar and a Fortuner belonging to accused Ankit Das, who is the nephew of former Rajya Sabha MP Akhilesh Das.

The driver of the third SUV, a Mahindra Scorpio, escaped with his vehicle. According to the SIT, the third vehicle belongs to Shukla and he hid it after the incident. The vehicle is now in the agency’s possession.

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