The body of Gurvinder Singh, one of the four farmers killed in Lakhimpur Kheri violence, was cremated on Wednesday morning in Bahraich district of Uttar Pradesh following the completion of a second post-mortem as per his family’s demand. Bodies of all the four farmers that were mowed down by at least one four-wheeler on Sunday evening have now been cremated, officials said.
The cremation was completed in the presence of top police officers, district administration and Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait. Bahraich’s assistant superintendent of police Ashok Kumar said security personnel have been deployed in the area as precautionary measure, however, the situation was peaceful and under control.
Rakesh Tikait spent the night with Gurvinder’s family and demanded that Ashish Mishra, the son of Union minister of state for home Ajay Kumar Mishra, is arrested within 7 days. Tikait said the agitating farmers will plan their further strategy after 13 days of mourning for the dead farmers.
Families of Daljeet (42) and Gurvinder (22), both Bahraich residents killed in Lakhimpur violence, had initially declined to cremate the bodies on Monday night but Daljeet’s family relented on Tuesday following the district administration’s effort to convince them.Upon Gurvinder’s family’s insistence on a second post-mortem, alleging the first one tried to hide a bullet injury that they claimed caused his death, the administration agreed.
The second post mortem was done early on Wednesday morning with a panel of doctors from Lucknow observing the process. Besides, two doctors designated by family members were also present during the post-mortem.Family members of two other deceased farmers, Lovepreet Singh and Nachhatar Singh, who had initially refused to perform the last rites alleging that the administration may tamper with the post-mortem reports after cremation, too cremated the bodies on Tuesday .