Lakhimpur Kheri, Ashish Mishra alias Monu, the main accused in the FIR lodged by the farmers in the case of death of eight people during violence in Tikunia area here on Sunday last, appeared before the Crime Branch team at Police Lines on Saturday.
A police team led by DIG level officer Upendra Agarwal were interrogating Ashish Mishra which could go on for several hours.
Ashish reached police lines 25 minutes before the scheduled time at 1100 hrs through a different route, skipping the assembled media in the front gate.
Donning a white pyjama-kurta, Ashish refused to answer any question of the media.
Ashish was asked to appear on Friday at 1000 hrs but he sought extension due to his health problem. Thereafter police served him the second summon to appear before the crime branch on Saturday at 1100 hrs.
A FIR was registered against Ashish and others in the Sunday violence over the death of eight people. Union minister Ajay Mishra Teni who returned back to Lakhimpur last night, was meeting his party supporters at his office when his son was being interrogated by police in connection with Lakhimpur Kheri violence on Sunday last.
Ajay Mishra had already claimed that his son was innocent in the violence. Police had already arrested two people so far, who were close to Ashish Mishra.
In this matter, Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Kumar Mishra Teni said that his son has not been hidden anywhere. Earlier it was reported that Ashish could have fled to Nepal.
Sumit Jaiswal, a friend of Ashish, who had filed a cross FIR on behalf of Ashish Mishra in the case of violence in Lakhimpur Kheri, is also absconding. He had fled in a Thar jeep at the time of the incident. Sumit Jaiswal is said to be close to Ashish Mishra.
Another close associate of Ashish, Ankit Das is also missing and police were in search of him.
(EW correspondent)
