"Not Enough Done," Agrees Harish Salve, Representing UP, On Farmer Deaths

"What is the message that you (UP government) are sending... in normal circumstances will police not immediately apprehend accused?" Chief Justice NV Ramana asked

Not enough has been done by the authorities, senior lawyer Harish Salve, representing the Uttar Pradesh government over a PIL on the Lakhimpur Kheri deaths, told the Supreme Court today, as the state and its police force face questions over their handling of the incident.

"Yes, the authorities should have done the needful..." Mr Salve told a bench headed by Chief Justice NV Ramana, on a day that one of the accused - Ashish Mishra, who has yet to be arrested - brazenly skipped summons from the police, leaving a senior official waiting.

Ashish Mishra is Union Minister Ajay Mishra's son, and has been accused by farmers of being in the convoy that ran over a group of protesting farmers in UP's Lakhimpur Kheri on Sunday.

Four farmers died as an SUV rammed into the group of farmers, who had their backs to the speeding vehicle. Four others, including a journalist, died in the violence that followed.