Lakhimpur Kheri violence: Supreme Court grants bail to ex-Union minister's son Ashish Mishra
Ashish Mishra allegedly ran his car over a group of demonstrators, mowing down four farmers with an SUV on October 3, 2021.
The Supreme Court on Monday granted bail to Ashish Mishra, son of former Union minister Ajay Mishra, in the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence case which claimed the lives of eight people.
Ashish Mishra allegedly ran his SUV over a group of demonstrators protesting against the Centre’s repealed agricultural laws, mowing down four farmers with a sports utility vehicle on October 3, 2021.
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Mishra was arrested six days after the incident with the police chargesheet stating that the killings were “pre-planned” with Mishra arriving at the site of protest with a convoy of three-four cars.
Farmers were staging a protest against Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya during his visit to the area when the violence erupted.
The total death of this incident was 8 with a driver and two Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers allegedly lynched by the farmers. A journalist was alos killed in this triggered outrage.
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A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan also granted bail to farmers in the case and directed the trial court to expedite hearing, reported news agency PTI.
On On 25 January 2023, the apex court granted Mishra interim bail in this in the "unfortunate ghastly incident" with several conditions including restrictions to entry into Delhi NCR or the state of UP except for attending the trial. His interim bail was getting extended repeatedly.
The bench said that it has decided to make the interim order absolute, taking into consideration the attending circumstances.
The bench also said that the trail proceedings need to be expedited considering that out of 117 witnesses, seven have been examined so far.
"We direct the trial court to fix the schedule, keeping in view the other time-bound or urgent matters that are pending but prioritising the pending subject," the bench added.
(with inputs from news agencies)