Lakhimpur Kheri violence: Allahabad HC grants bail to Union minister’s son Ashish Mishra

Ashish’s bail application was moved in the Allahabad High Court after his plea was rejected by the lower and session court of Lakhimpur Kheri. Last month, after hearing the plea, the Lucknow bench the High Court reserved its order.

“Justice Rajeev Singh on Thursday pronounced order and granted bail to Ashish Mishra,” said Additional Advocate General, Vinod Kumar Shahi.

Ashish Mishra is lodged in jail since October 11 after the October 3 incident.

Defence Counsel Salil Kumar Srivastava said, “During arguments on the bail application, we raised several issues including that Ashish Mishra was falsely implicated as he was not present at the spot. The court today granted bail to Ashish Mishra. The court order is not uploaded yet on its website.”

On October 3, 2021, a convoy of three SUVs, including a Thar owned by Ajay Mishra, ran over a group of farmers assembled at the Tikonia crossing to show black flags to Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, who was scheduled to visit Ajay Mishra’ village, Baveerpur, for an event. The farmers were allegedly protesting over a purported video clip where the Union MoS is heard openly threatening to drag the protesting farmers out of the state. Four farmers and a journalist died and several others were injured. In the violence that followed, the enraged mob lynched two BJP leaders and the Thar driver. Farmers also set two vehicles, including the Thar, on fire.

During its investigation, the UP Police’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) arrested 13 people, including Ashish Mishra, in connection with the killing of the farmers and the journalist.

The SIT, which was investigating the case, on January 3 filed chargesheet against 14, including Ashish Mishra, in connection with the case. The court had issued notice to the Union Minister’s brother-in-law Virendra Shukla, who was chargesheeted on charges of destruction of evidence.

Shukla was never arrested by SIT. On January 11, a local court of Lakhimpur Kheri granted bail to Virendra Shukla, when he appeared before the court.

In the case of the lynching of the two BJP leaders and the Thar driver, the SIT arrested seven people. On January 21, the SIT filed a chargesheet against four people. The agency cleared three others, who were arrested earlier in the same case, stating that no evidence was found against them.