2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence: Supreme Court disbands SIT stating that “the special investigation team has become functus officio”

Today, the Supreme Court disbanded a SIT (Special Investigation Team) constituted to probe into the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence and said that the investigation is already completed, and chargesheets have been submitted. Also, the top Court relieved the former judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain of his responsibilities of supervising the probe. In the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence, eight individuals including four protesting farmers were allegedly mowed by a vehicle driven by Ashish Mishra, son of the Bharatiya Janta Party leader Ajay Kumar Mishra. The matter was heard today by a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court including Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Surya Kant. 

The bench ordered “...Since the special investigation team has completed the investigation, submitted charge sheets, and now the matter is pending before the trial court, it appears to us that the special investigation team has become functus officio.” Further, the Supreme Court held that “We are satisfied that at this stage, the members of the special investigation team and Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain can be relieved of their responsibilities. It is however clarified that if there arises any necessity to reconstitute the special investigation team or any related issue, an appropriate order shall be passed.” During the court proceedings, Additional Advocate General Garima Prasad appeared for the Uttar Pradesh government and told the bench that the charge sheet has been filed and the trial is going on.