Lawyer Harish Salve, representing the Uttar Pradesh government in the Lakhimpur Kheri farmers’ massacre case, on Wednesday, told the Supreme Court that he had filed the status report in a sealed cover. To which, Justice Surya Kant said that the top court had ‘never said anything about sealed covers.’
File photoReacting to Salve’s submission, Chief Justice of India NV Ramana said, “Last minute if it’s filed how will we read?” CJI Ramana, according to the Livelaw, added, “Yesterday night till 1 AM we waited but there was nothing.”
Salve said, “It had to be given in sealed cover.”
CJI Ramana, according to the Bar and Bench website, said, “No, that was not required and we have just received it now.” Justice Kant, for his part, said, “We never said anything about sealed covers.”
CJI Ramana asked Salve, “You said you have examined 34 witnesses. Statements of 4 have been recorded. Why have not other witnesses’ statements been recorded?”
Salve replied, “It’s ongoing…As of today, there are 10 accused. There are 2 crimes, first is where they drove into the farmers. The Farmers were lynched and killed, that’s difficult to investigate as there were mang farmers.”
Salve: As of today, there are 10 accused. There are 2 crimes, first is where they drove into the farmers. The Farmers were lynched and killed, that’s difficult to investigate as there were mang farmers.
#LakhimpurKheriViolence #SupremeCourt
— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) October 20, 2021
Justice Hima Kohli, the third judge from the Bench, felt that the UP government was deliberating delaying the investigation into the killings of farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri. She said, “We feel you are dragging your feet. Please dispel that.”
Salve asked the top court to adjourn the matter till next week. The CJI said that the matter would now be taken up on 26 October.
Union Minister Ajay Mishra’s SUV had rammed into protesting farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri, killing at least four of them. The minister’s son, Ashish Mishra, was reported to be in the vehicle. The junior Mishra had skipped police summons, triggering speculations that he had fled to Nepal. However, after widespread condemnation for the UP Police, Ashish Mishra was finally arrested.
Not many expect farmers to get justice given that the prime accused in the case is the son of India’s junior home minister. Salve submitting the status report in a sealed cover raises more questions on the government’s intention in delivering justice to farmers.
The culture of submitting government response in sealed covers was quite prevalent during the term of Ranjan Gogoi as India’s chief justice. The culture earned Gogoi notoriety, raising his motive in some of the high-profile cases such as the Rafale Scam and the Babri Masjid case.