Lakhimpur Kheri Case : Supreme Court Issues Notice On Bail Plea Of Ashish Mishra

The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice to the State of Uttar Pradesh in the petition filed by Ashish Mishra, the son of Union Minister Ajay Kumar Mishra, in the Lakhmipur Kheri violence case.

A bench comprising Justices Indira Banerjee and MM Sundresh was considering the petition filed by Mishra challenging the July 26 order of the Allahabad High Court which dismissed his regular bail application. The State has been asked to file its response by September 26.

Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Mishra, submitted that allegation was that Mishra mowed down people with the vehicle, but the vehicle was driven by his driver. He said that there are two FIRs filed against Mishra. In one of the FIRs, it was alleged that Mishra had ran out of the car and fired shots from a sugarcane field. However, the first informant evenutally said that he was not an eyewitness, argued the senior counsel.

Initially, the Allahabad High Court had granted bail to Mishra on February 10, but it was set aside by the Supreme Court in April 2022 after noting that the High Court took into account irrelevant considerations and ignored relevant factors. The bail application was then remanded to the High Court. The Supreme Court's order came in appeal filed by the relatives of the farmers who got killed in the crime.

The crime took place on October 3, when several farmers were holding protests against the visit of Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya to Lakhimpur Kheri district, and four protesting farmers were killed after they were mowed down by an SUV which was part of the convoy of Ashish Mishra.

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