The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Uttar Pradesh government to depute a senior police officer to visit the residence of Baljinder Singh, a complainant against a BJP minister’s son accused of mowing down protesting farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri in 2021.

The court passed the order after Uttar Pradesh additional advocate-general Garima Prashad said that Baljinder did not turn up to lodge an FIR against Ashish Mishra, son of former Union minister of state Ajay Mishra Teni, even after being requested
by the superintendent of police.

Eight persons, including four farmers, died when a vehicle allegedly carrying Ashish and his supporters rammed into protesting farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri on September 29, 2021. The incident had occurred at a time when farmers were on a nationwide agitation over the Narendra Modi government’s move to introduce three farm laws.

“It is not a satisfactory statement on the part of the police. In case the complainant had been reluctant in coming forward to support his complaint, some senior police officer can be deputed to visit the complainant to verify if the complaint has been made by him. If the complaint is acknowledged, it is imperative for the police to investigate,” a three-judge bench of Justices Surya Kant, Ujjal Bhuyan and Kotiswar Singh said.

Baljinder had earlier claimed that witnesses were being induced with monetary offers or threatened if they deposed against Ashish, who is out on bail since January 2023.