The Supreme Court on Monday granted bail to Ashish Mishra – the prime accused in mowing down four farmers at Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh in October 2021, who were agitating against the now repealed three farm laws intended to corporatise the agriculture and its produce. In all, eight people lost their lives including four farmers.
Granting bail to Ashish Misra – son of former Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Mishra – a bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan also granted bail to farmers in the case and directed the trial court to expedite the hearing.
“We direct 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,” the bench ordered.
Ashish Mishra was granted interim bail by the top court on January 25, 2023, as it noted that the trial in the case is unlikely to conclude early. Since then, the interim bail has been extended from time to time.
On September 26, 2023, the Supreme Court permitted Ashish Mishra to visit Delhi to take care of his ailing mother with conditions not to interact with the media on the issues relating to Lakhimpur Kheri violence and other matters.
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 October 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence, that erupted following the mowing down of the four farmers, eight people lost their lives including four farmers who were mowed down.
Granting interim 8-week bail to Ashish Mishra, which was extended from time to time, the bench in its order had said, “We are conscious of grave allegations levelled against the petitioner (Ashish Mishra) but we must also acknowledge that principle of procedural fairness requires these allegations to be proved in the trial proceedings. In the present case charges have been framed, and the petitioner is in custody for more than a year. In view of the large volume of oral and documentary evidence…, trial cannot be expected to conclude that early.”
On December 6, 2023, an Uttar Pradesh court had framed charges against 14 persons including Mishra. Mishra has been charged with a number of offences including murder, attempt to murder, rioting and criminal conspiracy. The trial had begun on December 16, 2023.