A local journalist who has disappeared after the violence in the Lakhimpur Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh on Sunday is said to have been identified as one of the victims of the conflict. Locals said that when his body was taken away for an autopsy, his family had already determined his identity, but the official has not yet confirmed his identity. The deceased was identified as Raman Kashyap.

After protests prevented Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya from visiting Banbirpur village, at least 8 people (4 of whom were farmers) died in the violence that broke out in the area on Sunday. Soon after violence and arson broke out in the area. According to the police, violence broke out after a car crashed into protesting farmers in Rahim Burkheri. They said that four farmers reportedly died after being hit by a convoy, and four others who were riding in one of the vehicles were beaten to death. The two SUVs allegedly knocked down a group of anti-agricultural law protesters who protested Maurya’s visit on the Tikonia-Banbirpur highway on Sunday, and violence broke out.

According to reports, two cars were set ablaze by angry farmers. Allegedly, they also assaulted some passengers in the car. The farmers claimed that Ashish Mishra, the son of Federal Minister of State Ajay Mishra Teni, was driving a vehicle that allegedly ran over protesters. Mishra and his assistants have been named in the FIR filed based on the farmers’ complaints. However, the Federal Minister rejected all the allegations against his son. Although farmer leader Rakesh Tikait visited the village late on Sunday night, the government still bans most politicians from visiting the area. Parliamentary leader Payaka Gandhi Vadra was arrested after arriving in the area, while the chairman of the Samajwadi Party, Akilesh Yadav, was placed under house arrest in Lucknow.

News Source : Hindustan Times