Illegally confined in Sitapur, not allowed to meet lawyer, says Priyanka Gandhi
Sitapur [Uttar Pradesh], October 5 (ANI): Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday said that she continues to in "illegal confinement" at PAC compound in Sitapur while on her way to meet the victims of Lakhimpur Kheri violence and that she has not been produced in front of a magistrate or any other judicial officer.
She also said that no further communication regarding the circumstances or the reasons under which she has been charged had been communicated by the UP Police or administration.
The Congress leader said in a statement that she has not been served with any order or notice nor FIR has been shown to her.
Referring to FIR registered against 11 people including state Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu, she said eight of those named were not even present at the time she was arrested and the police have named two persons who brought her clothes from Lucknow.
She said she has also not been allowed to meet her legal counsel who has been standing at the gate since morning.
Priyanka Gandhi said she was told on October 4 morning that she had been placed under house arrest.
"I have been placed under arrest as verbally informed to me by the arresting officer DCP Piyush Kumar Singh, CO City, Sitapur, under section 151 at 4.30 am on the 4th of October, 2021. At the time I was arrested I was travelling within the district of Sitapur, approximately 20 km from the border of Lakhimpur Kheri district which was under section 144. However, to my knowledge, Section 144 was not imposed in Sitapur," she said.
The Congress general secretary said she was travelling in a single vehicle with four other persons - two local congress workers besides party MP Deepender Hooda and Sandeep Singh.
"No security car or congress workers other than the four persons accompanying me were with me. I was then driven to the PAC compound, Sitapur accompanied by 2 female and 2 male constables. Having been brought to the PAC compound, no further communication regarding the circumstances or the reasons, or the sections under which I have been charged have been communicated to me by the UP Police or administration until now- 38 hours later at 6.30 pm on October 5," she said.
"I have not been served with any order or notice. Nor have they shown me an FIR. I have myself seen a portion of a paper on social media in which they have named 11 people- 8 of whom were not even present at the time I was arrested. In fact they have even named the two persons who brought my clothes from Lucknow on the 4th afternoon. I have not been produced in front of a magistrate or any other judicial officer either," she added.
Priyanka Gandhi alleged that "illegal physical force" was used on her and her colleagues at the time of her arrest.
"Presently I am not going into the details of the completely illegal physical force used on my colleagues and me at the time of my arrest as this statement serves merely to clarify the continuing illegality of my confinement at the PAC compound in Sitapur, UP," she said.
Eight people including four farmers had died in the violence in the Lakhimpur Kheri district in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday, police had said.
Samyukta Kisan Morcha has alleged that son of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra Teni was involved in the violence. However, both the Union Minister of State and his son have refuted SKM's allegations.
The Uttar Pradesh government had on Monday announced a judicial inquiry under a retired high court judge in the Lakhimpur Kheri incident. It also said that an FIR has been registered based on farmers' complaints.
The government also announced that the family of those who died in the violence will be provided Rs 45 lakh and a government job. The injured will be given Rs 10 lakh each. (ANI)
