Lakhimpur Kheri violence: Supreme Court to appoint former HC Judge to oversee probe

After the Uttar Pradesh Government told the Supreme Court on Monday that it can appoint a former High Court judge to oversee the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case, the apex court said it had to finalise the name of the Judge and would pass order on November 17.

A Bench of Chief Justice of India NV Ramana, Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli said it would have to talk to the Judge it was considering to appoint. "We will need another day since we are considering either Rakesh Jain or some other Judge. We need to talk to the Judge we will appoint," the Bench said. At the outset, senior advocate Harish Salve told the Bench that he had taken instructions and the government would leave it to the court, whoever the court consider might be appointed. Also read | Maharashtra: Before stealing cash box from temple, thief touched God’s feet; video viral The Supreme Court also asked senior advocate Harish Salve appearing for the Uttar Pradesh Government that its Special Investigation Team (SIT) had to be upgraded by including some senior officials. In the SIT, most officers are from Lakhimpur only, the Bench said, and asked the Uttar Pradesh Government to circulate the names of IPS officers of the UP cadre, who do not hail from UP, for the inclusion in the SIT. Earlier, the top court had proposed to appoint a former High Court Judge to monitor the ongoing investigation into the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case while expressing dissatisfaction with the Uttar Pradesh Police probe for the mixing of witnesses in different FIRs in the case. Also read | Air pollution: SC tells Centre to convene emergency meeting with NCR states The Bench had suggested the names of Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain or Justice Ranjit Singh, former Judges of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, to oversee the probe. The hearing in the October 3 violence at Lakhimpur Kheri has now been adjourned for November 17. -PTC News