Four more people, including a BJP leader, arrested over Lakhimpur Kheri violence

The Uttar Pradesh Police on Monday arrested four more persons, including a BJP leader, over the October 3 violence near a farmers' protest site at Lakhimpur Kheri. The total number of arrests in the case has now reached 10.

Those arrested on Monday have been identified as Sumit Jaiswal, Shishi Pal, Satya Prakash Tripathi alias Satyam and Nandan Singh Bisht. According to reports, Jaiswal, a local BJP leader, was seen in a video leaving the SUV that had mowed down the protesting farmers.

"The SIT investigators and other senior officials are interrogating the accused and further probe is under way," the UP police said in a statement.

The police had arrested Ashish Mishra, son of Union minister Ajay Mishra, on October 9 after farmers claimed that he was in one of the vehicles that ran over the farmers, an allegation denied by him and his father.

Others arrested in the case were Luvkush Pandey, Ashish Pandey, Ankit Das, Shekhar Bharti and Lateef.

Eight people died in the violence and of them, four were farmers, allegedly knocked down by a vehicle carrying BJP workers. Infuriated farmers then allegedly lynched some people in the vehicles, including two BJP workers and their driver. In the incident, a journalist was also killed.

On Monday, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of farmer unions, held a six-hour 'rail roko' protest demanding the dismissal and arrest of Union Minister Mishra over the violence.

The SKM warned that protests will be intensified further if its "demands for justice in Lakhimpur Kheri massacre are not met".