Chaini Parwani –
Published On: October 9, 2021 at 12:00 IST
The Supreme Court conveyed its disappointment with the Uttar Pradesh Government over its failure to arrest the key accused in the mowing down of protesting farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri.
A Bench comprising of Chief Justice of India NV Ramana and Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli asked for a Status Report from the Uttar Pradesh Government on the First Information Report (FIR) registered and arrests made in association with the incident.
Chief Justice of India NV Ramana sternly asked, “Is this the way we treat the accused, facing a serious allegation of (Section) 302 (murder) in this country? Please come… Please tell us.”
Advocate Harish Salve representing the State said, “The young man facing the very serious allegations have sought more time. He has been given more time.”
Further, Salve also argued that the State failed to arrest the accused on the basis that the post-mortem report of the dead in the case had shown no gun-shot wounds.
Adding to it, the CJI oppressively asked, “Does this mean that you don’t take the accused into custody?”
The Bench further highlighted that the probe is not going on attentively and that the murder accused was not treated effectively.
Furthermore, Advocate Salve acknowledged that the state should have done the fundamentals and pleaded for more time to act.
“The manner in which the car was driven, it is possibly a case of 302 (murder). If the evidence is true, it is a (Section) 302 (IPC) case,” Salve said.
In his plea before the Court, Advocate Salve asked to post the case for a hearing after the Court’s Dussehra break.
There is no point in keeping these officers, Harish Salve said. The evidence in the Case must not be destroyed, the CJI said, asking the state DGP to ensure this.
Justice Surya Kant urged the state to take actions that influence optimism.
The CJI directed the case to be listed immediately after the vacation on October 20.
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