Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Dilbag Singh, who is also a witness to the killing of farmers at Tikunia in Lakhimpur Kheri in October 2021 and has claimed an attempt on his life by armed miscreants last Tuesday night, has identified the suspects.
The local police, however, said that the suspect claimed that the BKU leader had been “planning such an attack on himself to get (arms) licence”.
"On Tuesday night, he (Dilbag Singh) claimed that unknown miscreants fired thrice on him but he luckily escaped unhurt. He also lodged a report in this regard after which a Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team from Lucknow had been called for a ballistic report. Singh identified suspects who instead stated that he had been planning such an attack on himself to get (arms) licence," Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Suman
said.
Suman further noted that the BKU leader was provided a gunman for security, but he gave him an off on the day of the attack.
“He has a gunman for security, provided to him by the administration, but he gave the gunman an off on his own and the same day this firing incident took place," Suman said.
He said the FSL team from Lucknow was called for a ballistic report. He further noted that Dilbag Singh claimed he was fired upon
thrice.
Notably, according to the police, the Lakhimpur Kheri district president of BKU, Dilbag Singh, was attacked on Tuesday as two unidentified men on a motorcycle followed his SUV and opened fire on him. The BKU leader had told the cops that his police guard was on leave when the attack happened.
The Lakhimpur Kheri incident took place on October 3, 2021, when a group of farmers was protesting in the district against the Centre's three farm laws. A violent clash broke out between the farmers following which an SUV reportedly owned by Union Minister Ajay Mishra, ran over the farmers, killing four of them. The farmers had alleged that Ajay Mishra's son Ashish Mishra was driving the car that ran over the farmers.