The Supreme Court on February 12 extended Ashish Mishra’s interim bail in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case till the next date of hearing.
A bench of justices, Surya Kant and KV Viswanathan, extended the interim bail granted to Ashish Mishra in the case till further orders. The Court has directed the registry to obtain a report from the trial court and adjourned the matter.
On January 25, 2023, the top Court granted interim bail for eight weeks to Ashish Mishra and imposed various conditions. Later, it was extended from time to time.
The top Court had directed Ashish Mishra to inform the concerned Court about his location. The Supreme Court had also clarified that any attempt by Ashish Mishra or his family to influence witnesses and try to delay the trial may lead to the cancellation of his bail. The Court has also directed Ashish Mishra to mark his attendance at the concerned police station.
Ashish Mishra, the son of Union Minister Ajay Mishra, moved the Supreme Court to challenge the Allahabad High Court, which denied bail to him in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case.
On July 26, 2022, the Allahabad High Court denied bail to Ashish Mishra, the son of Union Minister Ajay Mishra, in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case. The bail was rejected by the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court.
The said order is challenged by Ashish Mishra in the Supreme Court, filed through advocate on record T Mahipal. Mishra is facing a murder case for the incident that took place on October 3, 2021, in which eight people, including four farmers, were killed in Lakhimpur Kheri.
Mishra allegedly ran over the farmers who were protesting against the Center’s three farm laws. He was arrested on October 9 and granted bail in February 2022.
Mishra again moved to 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.
The top Court had earlier set aside the Allahabad High Court order dated February 10, 2022, and remitted the matter back to the High Court.
The top Court had said that the order of the Allahabad High Court could not be sustained and had to be set aside, and the bail bonds of the respondent or accused were cancelled. The Court had directed Ashish Mishra to surrender within a week.
Family members of the victims of the Lakhimpur Kheri incident moved the Supreme Court to challenge the Allahabad High Court order, which granted bail to Ashish Mishra. The top Court cancelled Mishra’s bail plea.
Earlier, the Supreme Court appointed a committee headed by retired Punjab and Haryana HC judge Rakesh Kumar Jain to monitor the probe into the violence.
(with inputs from ANI)
