The Allahabad High Court on Tuesday denied bail to Ashish Mishra, the son of Union Minister Ajay Mishra, in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case. The Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court rejected the bail petition of the main accused Ashish Mishra.
Four farmers died in the Lakhimpur case, the accused and the accused’s car was present there. This is the biggest fact, this case comes under the category of a heinous crime, said the High Court. Mishra is facing a case of murder for the incident that took place on October 3, 2021, in which eight people, including four farmers, were killed in the Lakhimpur Kheri.
Mishra allegedly ran over the farmers who were protesting against the Centre’s three farm Laws. He was arrested on October 9 and granted bail in February 2022. Mishra, again moved the High Court as the Court’s earlier order was set aside by the Supreme Court in April 2022 and had ordered fresh consideration of his bail plea.
A bench of Chief Justice of India NV Ramana with Justice Surya Kant and Justice Hima Kohli said, “The High Court shall decide the bail application afresh expeditiously, and preferably within a period of three months.” The top court set aside the Allahabad High Court order dated February 10, 2022, and remit the matter back to the High Court.
The top court said that the order of the Allahabad High Court cannot be sustained and has to be set aside and the bail bonds of the respondent/accused are cancelled. The Court directed Ashish Mishra to surrender within a week.
Family members of the victims of the Lakhimpur Kheri incident moved the Supreme Court challenging the Allahabad High Court order, which granted bail to Ashish Mishra. In the Special Leave Petition, family members of the deceased challenged the Allahabad High Court order dated February 10, 2022, wherein Ashish Mishra was granted regular bail. The petitioner said that the Allahabad HC order is unsustainable in law. They also said that they have approached the Apex Court as the State of Uttar Pradesh has failed to prefer any appeal against the impugned order.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had appointed a committee headed by retired Punjab and Haryana high court judge Rakesh Kumar Jain to monitor the probe into the Lakhimpur Kheri violence.
