Lakhimpur Kheri violence case: SC extends Ashish Mishra’s interim bail till September 26

New Delhi, July 11

The Supreme Court on Tuesday extended till September 26 the interim bail granted to Union minister Ajay Kumar Mishra’s son Ashish, facing trial in the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence case.

A Bench led by Justice Surya Kant which on April 24 had said that it was not possible to direct the trial court to conduct day-to-day hearings as it might affect other cases pending therenoted that trial was going on and adjourned the matter.

Four farmers were mowed down by an SUV in Lakhimpur Kheri when those against farm laws were holding a demonstration against Uttar Pradesh 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 Union Minister Ajay Kumar Mishra Teni’s son Ashish was sitting in one of the cars.

Noting that the trial in the case was not “slow-paced”, the Supreme Court on March 14 directed the trial judge concerned to keep it informed about further developments in the trial.

The Bench had said though it’s not monitoring the trial but it’s having an “indirect supervision” on it.

A Lakhimpur Kheri court had on December 6, 2022 framed charges againstAshishMishraand 12 others for murder, criminal conspiracy and certain other offences in the case. Virendra Shukla, the 14th accused has been charged under Section 201 of IPC for causing disappearance of evidence.

The top court had on January 25 granted an eight-week interim bail toAshishMishra, and since then it has been extending the interim bail.