Lakhimpur violence: one dead was journalist not BJP worker, family files case

Lucknow: As the saga of Sunday's violent clash at a farmer's protest in Uttar Pradesh continues to unfold, a 'BJP worker' who was named as part of the death toll by state home minister Ajay Mishra Teni has turned out to be a dead journalist with no affiliation to the party. The family members of journalist Raman Kashyap (32) have filed two FIRs and a complaint at local police stations alleging murder at the hands of Ashish Mishra and his aides.

Family members allege that Kashyap had been covering the farmer's protest at the Maharaja Agrasen Sports Ground in Lakhimpur Kheri when he was caught up in the convoy which was deliberately driven into the crowd. Kashyap's father, Ram Asre Kashyap, also wrote in the complaint that his son was deliberately shot as he had been recording the events as they unfolded.

"There were bruises on his shoulder, massive head injuries and bullet holes on his chest and right arm," he said. The family had refused to cremate the body until their complaint was accepted at the station. On the other hand, his colleague at Sadhna TV, Brijmohan Singh, was quoted by the Indian Express as saying he was beaten to death by protesters while he was shooting videos.

Kashyap is a former school teacher who lived with his family, parents and siblings in their house at Nighasan. The family has denied any involvement with the BJP and insisted that he was only covering the protests as part of his duties as a journalist for Sadhna TV. The UP government has announced compensation for those who were killed and has also filed an FIR naming Union Minister Mishra's son as prime accused in the case.