NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday granted regular bail to Ashish Mishra, son of former Union Minister Ajay Mishra in the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence case, related to mowing down of farmers in an incident which claimed eight lives.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan also allowed bail to farmers in the case and directed the trial court to expedite hearing.
The court also directed the trial court to fix the schedule, keeping in view the other time-bound or urgent matters that are pending but prioritising the pending subject.
According to the prosecution, eight persons, including four farmers, were allegedly killed on October 3, 2021, after violence broke out in the Lakhimpur Kheri district of state of Uttar Pradesh during a protest against the Centre’s farm laws that have now been repealed. The farmer bodies, in the case, have alleged that a vehicle belonging to accused Mishra had run over a group of demonstrators.
Also Read: SC extends interim bail to Ashish Mishra in Lakhimpur Kheri violence case
In its order on February this year, the court had extended the interim bail granted to accused, Mishra.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, who represented the victims, claimed Mishra has been violating bail condition set by the top court.
He claimed the accused has been visiting Uttar Pradesh and attending various functions in violation of his bail conditions, as imposed by the top court in the case.
Senior advocate Siddhartha Dave, representing Mishra, denied this claiming, "No SC order is violated by his client." He said there is no alleged threat perception as the father of the accused had lost the Lok Sabha polls.
The accused, Mishra was first arrested in the case on October 9, 2021. He walked out of jail on February 15, 2022, after the Allahabad High Court had granted him bail.
In January 2023, the top court had granted him eight-week interim bail in the case and it had also directed him to leave Uttar Pradesh within one week of his release from jail.
The trial court had already framed charges against 14 persons including Mishra.
