File photo of Ashish Mishra, the main accused in the 2021 Lakhimpur violence case, being produced before a local court in Lakhimpur. , Photo Credit: PTI
The Supreme Court on Tuesday extended it till 26 September Interim bail to Union Minister Ajay Kumar Mishra’s son AshishFacing prosecution in the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence case.
A bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Dipankar Datta noted that the hearing in the matter is going on and adjourned the matter.
The apex court had on April 24 said that it would not be possible to direct the trial court to conduct day-to-day hearing in the matter as it may affect other cases pending there.
While hearing the matter on March 14, the top court had said that the trial of the case was not “slow paced” and directed the concerned sessions judge to keep it informed about the future developments in the trial.
The top court had said that though it is not monitoring the trial, it is “indirectly monitoring” it.
It had said that the interim directions contained in its January 25 order, by which it had granted interim bail to Ashish Mishra for eight weeks in the case, would remain in force.
The court had also directed Ashish Mishra to leave Uttar Pradesh within a week of his release from jail.
Event
On October 3, 2021, eight people died after violence broke out at Tikunia in Lakhimpur Kheri district, when farmers were protesting against the visit of then Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya.
According to the Uttar Pradesh Police’s FIR, there were four farmers An SUV crushed Ashish Mishra in which he was sitting. Following the incident, angry farmers allegedly lynched the driver of the SUV and two BJP workers. A journalist also died in the violence.
In its January 25 order, the top court had exercised its “suo motu constitutional powers” and directed that the four accused — Gurvinder Singh, Kamaljit Singh, Gurpreet Singh and Vichitra Singh — be held in connection with a separate FIR registered on the murder. was arrested. The three people in the SUV that allegedly crushed the farmers there should be released on interim bail till further orders.
While granting interim bail of eight weeks to Ashish Mishra, the bench had said that any attempt by him, his family or supporters to influence or threaten witnesses directly or indirectly would lead to cancellation of interim bail.
It said that Ashish Mishra, after being released on interim bail, shall surrender his passport to the trial court within a week and shall not enter Uttar Pradesh except to attend the trial proceedings.
The top court had also said that he would disclose his residence to the trial court as well as to the jurisdictional police station where he would be staying during the period of interim bail.
The top court had said, “The trial court shall send a progress report to this court after every date of hearing, along with details of witnesses examined on each date.”