Lakhimpur Kheri Case: Top Court extends Ashish Mishra's interim bail

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Synopsis

In the Lakhimpur Kheri violence incident, a vehicle rammed into a farmers’ protest against the three farm laws passed by the Union Government, killing two BJP workers, a driver and a journalist.

The Supreme Court today extended the interim bail granted to  Ashish Mishra, son of Union Minister Ajay Mishra Teni, in the case registered over the Lakhimpur Kheri violence of October 3, 2021.

Mishra was granted interim bail by the top court a year back.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and KV Viswanathan noted today that since September 2023, no Report had been received from the Trial Court on the progress of the case.

In December 2022, the Supreme Court directed the Registrar (Judicial) to enquire about the expected time it will take to complete the trial from the first additional sessions judge at Lakhimpur Kheri. The State of Uttar Pradesh had also been directed to file an additional affidavit stipulating the pace of the investigation in the case.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant & Krishna Murari had also contemplated on the need to balance the rights of the accused persons behind the Lakhimpur Kheri incident with those of the victims and witnesses. 

Ashish Mishra is one of the 13 accused persons who have been held for murder, criminal conspiracy and certain other offences in the violence case. 

The Supreme Court had issued notice to the Uttar Pradesh Government on Ashish’s bail plea on September 6, 2022 and had asked the Uttar Pradesh Government to respond to his petition seeking bail, in which he had challenged the denial of bail to him by Allahabad High Court on July 26.

On April 18, 2022 the Supreme Court cancelled the bail given to Ashish Mishra by the Allahabad High Court. Earlier, the bail pleas of Mishra and two others had been rejected by the Lakhimpur Kheri District and Sessions court on November 15, 2021.

Case Title: Ashish Mishra @ Monu vs. State of Uttar Pradesh