Lakhimpur Kheri violence: Place Ashish Mishra's bail plea before 'appropriate' Bench, says Supreme Court

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 11

The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday said the bail plea of Lakhimpur Kheri violence case accused and Union Minister Ajay Mishra Teni’s son Ashish Mishra should be placed before a Bench comprising judges who had earlier dealt with the matter.

Maintaining that judicial propriety demanded that the matter be placed before a Bench comprising one of the judges who had earlier heard the matter, a Bench led by Justice BR Gavai directed the court’s Registry to obtain orders from the Chief Justice of India for placing it before an appropriate Bench.

The SC had on September 6 issued notice to the Uttar Pradesh Government on Ashish’s bail plea and asked the Uttar Pradesh Government to respond to his petition challenging the Allahabad High Court’s July 26 order rejecting his bail plea.

Being a politically influential person, Ashish could influence the witnesses and affect the trial, the High Court had said.

Four farmers were mowed down by an SUV in Lakhimpur Kheri during a protest against UP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya’s visit on October 3, 2021. In the subsequent violence, two BJP workers, a driver and a journalist were killed. It was alleged that Ashish was travelling in one of the cars. Earlier, the SC had on April 18 cancelled the bail given to Ashish by the Allahabad High Court, saying the victims were denied a fair and effective hearing at the time of granting bail to him. However, it had asked the HC, which had given bail to Ashish on February 10, to examine his bail plea afresh “in a fair, impartial and dispassionate manner.

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