India: Killing in Lakhimpur: Sibal urges SC to act

Kapil Sibal

New Delhi, Oct 6 (PTI) Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Wednesday urged the Supreme Court to suo motu act on the Lakhimpur Kheri violence in which eight people, including four farmers, were killed.

"Supreme Court, there was a time when there was no YouTube, no social media, the Supreme Court acted suo motu on the basis of news in the print media. It heard the voice of the voiceless," Sibal said in a tweet.

Today when our citizens are run over and killed, the Supreme Court is requested to act, the senior advocate said, in an obvious reference to the Lakhimpur Kheri incident.

Four of the eight dead in Sunday's violence in Lakhimpur Kheri were farmers, allegedly knocked down by vehicles driven by BJP workers travelling to welcome Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya to an event in the area.

The others including BJP workers and their driver were allegedly pulled out of the vehicles and lynched by the protesters.

The Uttar Pradesh Police has lodged a case against Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra's son Ashish Mishra but no arrest has been made so far.