Lakhimpur Kheri Violence: Supreme Court Told Ashish Mishra Did Not Influence Witnesses

The Supreme Court has been informed that former Union minister Ajay Mishra and his son Ashish Mishra will not be prosecuted in the witness intimidation case linked to the Lakhimpur Kheri violence trial.

Uttar Pradesh police made this submission before a bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana during the hearing of a plea in which the top court is monitoring the trial against Ashish Mishra. In the case alleging witness intimidation, only one person, Amandeep Singh has been charge-sheeted by the police.

Senior Advocate Siddharth Dave, representing Ashish Mishra, submitted before CJI Kant's bench today, "I have not been even named in the chargesheet. 64 witnesses have to be examined. The trial will wrap up in three months."

In January last year, court had directed the Uttar Pradesh police to submit a report on the allegations that Ashish Mishra, son of former Union Minister Ajay Mishra, was influencing witnesses. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh, had in its order observed, "The applicants seek the cancellation of bail granted to Ashish Mishra. They have relied on certain material to accuse the petitioner of misusing the concession of bail and violating the terms and conditions of the bail granted. The petitioner has filed an affidavit, and Advocate Prashant Bhushan wishes to place additional material on record. We direct the police administration to submit a report on the allegations made."

In July 2024, the Supreme Court had granted bail to Mishra, son of Union Minister Ajay Mishra Teni, in a case registered over the Lakhimpur Kheri violence of October 3, 2021. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan had then directed the trial court to expedite hearing.

In December 2022, the Supreme Court had 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.

What is the Lakhimpur Kheri case:

In the October 3, 2021 case, a total of 14 people had been made accused. Allegedly, during a protest against Center's three Farm Laws, a Thar car mowed down protesting farmers. Resultantly, violence broke out in which eight people died including four farm law protestors, two BJP workers, a driver, a local journalist, and several others were injured.

Two FIRs were lodged in connection with the violence. It is alleged that Mishra was in the Thar car and he fired gunshots on farmers while escaping from the place of the incident. The proceedings in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case(s) are going on before the District Court in which Uttar Pradesh Police filed an exhaustive chargesheet running into 5000 pages on January 3.

Case Title: Ashish Mishra vs. State of Uttar Pradesh

Bench: CJI Kant, Justice Bagchi and Justice Mohana

Hearing Date: July 16, 2026