India / Ex-HC judge outside UP to monitor Lakhimpur probe till chargesheet is filed: SC

New Delhi:  The Supreme Court heard the Lakhimpur Kheri on Monday and expressed unhappiness over the status report filed by the Uttar Pradesh government. The CJI said that "there is nothing in the status report apart from saying that more witnesses have been examined."

The apex court said that a former judge of a different High Court will be monitoring the proceedings till the chargesheet is filed. The top court listed the hearing again for Friday.

A bench comprising Chief Justice N V Ramana and Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli expressed dissatisfaction over the steps taken by the Uttar Pradesh government In the Lakhimpur Kheri case that claimed the lives of 8 people including four farmers.

Senior advocate Harish Salve appearing for the Uttar Pradesh government responded to the bench's remark and said that lab reports will come by Nov 15. The top court then asked the UP government, "why only Ashish Mishra's phone has been seized what about others?"

The top court  further expressed dissatisfaction over the mixing of witnesses in different FIRs while hearing the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case and proposed to appoint a former judge from Punjab and Haryana High Court to monitor the ongoing investigation

The SC said, "To ensure there is no mix up of evidence in the case we are inclined to appoint a former judge of a different High Court to monitor the probe in the case", reported ANI.

The bench suggested that Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain (Retd) or Justice Ranjit Singh (Retd) from Punjab and Haryana High Court can oversee the Lakhimpur Kheri investigation

Eight people, including four farmers, were killed in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3 in violence that erupted during a farmers' protest.

Thirteen people, including Union Minister Ajay Mishra's son Ashish Mishra, have so far been arrested in connection with the incident.