Lakhimpur killings: SC appoints former judge to monitor daily probe

The Supreme Court on Wednesday appointed former judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain, to monitor the probe into the Lakhimpur farmers' killings.

Uttar Pradesh SIT is probing the Lakhimpur Kheri violence in which eight people including four farmers were killed on October 3 and Justice Jain will monitor the probe on day-to-day basis.

The court said that the monitoring will "ensure impartiality and independence of the investigation".

The top court said it would hear the case again after the SIT concludes its probe and files the status report and the charge sheet in the case.

A bench comprising Chief Justice N V Ramana and Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli also took note of the names of the IPS officers provided by the state government, and appointed three officials as part of the state SIT.

The Uttar Pradesh government on November 15 had agreed to the apex court's suggestion that a former judge of its choice may be appointed to supervise the state SIT's probe.