Lakhimpur Kheri case: Ashish Mishra released from jail

Ashish, who was lodged in the Lakhimpur Kheri district jail since October 10 last year, was released after the completion of bail formalities, jail superintendent PP Singh said.

Union minister of state for home Ajay Mishra Teni’s son, Ashish Mishra, was released from the jail on Tuesday days after the Allahabad high court granted him bail in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case.

Ashish, who was lodged in the Lakhimpur Kheri district jail since October 10 last year, was released after the completion of bail formalities, jail superintendent PP Singh said.The Lucknow bench of the high court granted him bail on February 10. Justice Rajeev Singh directed Ashish Mishra, who is charged with murder (Section 302 of the IPC), attempt to murder (Section 307) attempt to murder and rioting (Section 147), to not leave the state without permission and not to tamper with any evidence.

“It is evident that as per the FIR, the role of firing was assigned to the applicant for killing the protesters…But during the course of investigation, no such firearm injuries were found either on the body of any of the deceased or on the body of any injured person,” the court said in the bail order.

Four farmers and a journalist died when an SUV owned by Ajay Mishra ran over farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3. In the ensuing violence, three more people — two of whom were BJP workers and one was the driver of the car — were killed. The incident ignited nationwide protests with Opposition parties pushing for the resignation of Ajay Mishra, the minister of state for home.

Following the high court’s bail order, the district court on Monday ordered Ashish’s release subject to production of a personal bond of ₹3 lakh and two securities each of equal amount.