ADG (law and order) Prashant Kumar told TOI, “Eight deaths have been confirmed, including that of a journalist. Cross FIRs have been registered at Tikunia police station (under whose jurisdiction the violence took place on Sunday). One, criminal conspiracy against Ajay Mishra by farmer families and murder, negligence and cause of death under criminal conspiracy against Ashish Mishra. The second was lodged by the family of the slain driver against unknown persons for rioting. “No one was arrested till the filing of this report.
However, Jasbir Singh Virk, president of the Indian Sikh Organisation, disputed the numbers. “The protesters thrashed two people to death,” he told TOI. “They had opened fire on the farmers. The farmers acted in self-defense. They were protesting peacefully. There was no intention to kill anyone.”
Prohibitory orders have been in force in the district since Sunday night. Internet services are down. The political representatives who tried to visit the village on Monday could not go. They were either detained, stopped or prevented from landing in Lucknow. Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) spokesperson Rakesh said, “Don’t allow any political representative to enter Tikunia.” tickato Had told the farmers, the protesters said. Meanwhile, BKU chief Naresh Tikait warned BJP members not to visit villages in the area. He said, ‘I have appealed not to invite any BJP MP or MLA to the villages. It is better for these leaders to stay away or they will be responsible for any untoward incident.
The farmers initially refused to cremate the bodies of the dead or send them for post-mortem. The bodies were kept in four freezers at the demonstration site. Talks with the administration started after Tikait reached there along with other farmer leaders.
In a meeting that started at 5.30 am at a school in Banbirpur, Tikait, Virk and other farmer leaders raised the demand of farmers – Ajay Mishra should be sacked, all the accused arrested, investigation should be completed in 14 days and Rs. Crores of rupees were given as compensation along with government jobs for the families of those who died. ADG Kumar, DM Arvind Kumar Chaurasia and Kheri SP Vijay Dhul were present in the meeting. A consensus was reached after several rounds of talks that lasted for eight hours. “A judicial inquiry will be conducted, which will be headed by a retired high court judge who will probe the violence. The families of those who died will get Rs 45 lakh as compensation and one government job each. The injured will be given Rs 10 lakh each,” said ADG Kumar. “Whoever has any evidence should approach the inquiry committee.”
After the meeting, Tikait asked the farmers to hand over the bodies – which they did around 2.30 pm. A panel of five doctors is conducting autopsies of all those who died on Sunday at Lakhimpur Kheri District Hospital. “It’s a moral victory,” said Tikait. “If the government doesn’t do justice and sticks to its word, we will start protesting again.” He has announced a mass meeting on the 13th day of the funeral rituals.
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