Lakhimpur Kheri violence: Judge who gave bail to Ashish Mishra recuses himself

Justice Rajeev Singh of the Lucknow bench of the high court, who had earlier granted bail to Ashish, recused himself from hearing it again after the Supreme Court cancelled his bail order on April 18.

An Allahabad high court judge on Wednesday recused himself from a bench hearing the bail plea of Ashish Mishra, son of Union minister Ajay Kumar Mishra ‘Teni’, in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case.

The October 3 violence in Lakhimpur Kheri had left eight persons dead, including four farmers, a local journalist, two BJP workers and a driver. (HT File)

Justice Rajeev Singh of the Lucknow bench of the high court, who had earlier granted bail to Ashish, recused himself from hearing it again after the Supreme Court cancelled his bail order on April 18.

Justice Singh, however, gave no reason for withdrawing himself from the single-judge bench hearing the bail plea. The date for the next hearing will now be fixed after the constitution of a new bench. Last week, a bench, headed by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana, set aside the February 10 high court order for “ignoring judicial precedents and established parameters for grant of bail” and asked the high court to decide Mishra’s bail afresh, in “a fair, impartial and dispassionate manner”, preferably within three months.

Ashish is the main accused in the October 3 incident wherein a vehicle belonging to the Union minister allegedly mowed down four farmers during the stir. Two BJP workers and a driver were beaten to death, while a local journalist was killed in the violence that ensued.