Lakhimpur Kheri (UP):
A 75-year-old former MLA died here on Sunday after he fell on the ground during an altercation with a group of people over a land dispute, police said, even as the victim’s son alleged that he was beaten to death.
According to police, Nirvendra Mishra, who was a legislator thrice, had a dispute with Radheyshyam Gupta and Sameer Gupta over a peice of land under the Sampoornanagar police station area.
Radheyshyam Gupta alongwith his aides had gone to dig the land, and as soon as Mishra came to know about it, he hurried to the spot with his supporters and an altercation ensued, a police official said. “During the altercation, Mishra fell on the ground. He was first rushed to the Palia health centre and then to a clinic, where he was declared brought dead. No apparent injury was detected,” Superintendent of Police (SP) Satendra Kumar Singh said. However, the former MLA’s son Sanjiv alleged that dozens of people had beaten up his father with sticks which led to his death. Sanjiv also alleged that he too was injured in the attack. Later, Additional SP Arun Kumar Singh said, “On a complaint of Nirvendra Kumar Mishra’s son, an FIR is being registered against the accused.”
The body has been sent for postmortem to ascertain the cause of death and efforts are being made to nab the perpetrators, he said. ADG (Lucknow Zone) SN Sabat later told reporters that two persons have been detained by police for questioning, and investigation is going on. Mishra had represented the Nighasan assembly constituency, before delimitation, twice as an Independent in 1989 and 1991, and on a Samajwadi Party ticket in 1993. He is survived by his son and three daughters.
The death of the former Uttar Pradesh MLA led to opposition parties asking the BJP government in the state to act tough on the matter. Senior Congress leader Jitin Prasada, in a tweet in Hindi, said, “Three-time MLA Nirvendra Kumar Mishra was murdered today in Lakhimpur Kheri. He got seriously injured and died before reaching the hospital. My condolences with the family.” Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati tweeted, “The murder of Nirvendra Kumar Mishra is very sad and worrying.
The government must act tough against the guilty so that such painful incidents can be stopped in the state.” Condemning the incident, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav in a tweet in Hindi, said, “The murder of three-time MLA in Lakhimpur Kheri in broad daylight and attack on his son has shaken the state. Tributes. Under BJP rule, the people of the state are not only worried about the law and order, but are also feeling threatened. Shameful.”
