Senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot, who was on his way to visit Lakhimpur to meet the grieving families, was detained on Wednesday evening. He landed in Delhi earlier in the day and set out for Sitapur in Uttar Pradesh by road straight from the airport.

"The Uttar Pradesh government is certainly trying to hide something," he said on several political leaders being stopped from going to Lakhimpur Kheri.

The Congress leader said he hasn't been informed by when he will be released. "I have just been put here in the guest house. I have been told I can't go," he said.

The Ghaziabad Police had launched a special checking drive upon getting information about Sachin Pilot's intended visit to Lakhimpur Kheri to meet the families of farmers killed in violence.

Sources said Pilot's motorcade was moving slowly as it was stopped at multiple places on the way by police personnel who searched the cars and asked him questions before letting him proceed.

The Congress leader was stopped by police briefly near Gaur City in Ghaziabad on NH 24 but then permitted to proceed towards Hapur.

"They are letting others to meet the grieving families, why aren't they allowing us? I just want to meet the families without creating any law-and-order problem," said Sachin Pilot after being detained in Moradabad.

Vehicles were being checked at the Ghazipur border, and City Superintendent of Police (second) Gyanendra Singh, who was on duty there, had said that Pilot will not be allowed to go to Lakhimpur as his presence might cause law and order problems there.

Four of the eight people who died in Sunday's violence in Lakhimpur Kheri were farmers, allegedly knocked down by vehicles driven by BJP workers travelling to welcome Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya to an event in the area.

The four others included two BJP workers, a driver of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Kumar Mishra, and Raman Kashyap, a journalist working for a private TV channel.

While the first three were allegedly lynched by agitating farmers, the scribe, according to his father, died after being hit by a vehicle when he was covering news of farmers' protest against Maurya's visit to Ajay Mishra's native place.

The UP Police has lodged a case against Union minister Ajay Mishra's son but no arrest has been made.