Granting bail, Allahabad HC questions charges against Ashish Mishra in Lakhimpur Kheri case
Since October, Ashish Mishra had been lodged in jail, while a local court in Lakhimpur Kheri refused to grant him bail.
The Allahabad High Court on Thursday granted bail to Minister of State (MoS) Ajay Mishra Teni's son Ashish Mishra in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case, wherein several protesting farmers had died. While granting bail, the Court also questioned the charges levelled against him.
Since October, Ashish Mishra had been lodged in jail, while a local court in Lakhimpur Kheri refused to grant him bail. The Allahabad High Court's decision comes ahead of assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.
"We didn't read the judgment yet. During arguments on bail application, we raised that Ashish Mishra was falsely implicated as he was not present at spot. After completing legal formalities he may get out of prison within 2 days", said Defence Counsel Salil Kumar Srivastava
Ashish Mishra was arrested on October 9 last year by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) that was probing the incident.
Eight people were killed on October 3, 2021, after violence erupted during a farmers' protest, claiming the lives of farmers and BJP workers ahead of a visit to Lakhimpur by UP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya.
Four of the dead were farmers who were mowed down by a speeding SUV, belonging to Ashish Mishra. One journalist covering the incident was also killed in the incident. Three BJP workers were killed in retaliatory violence.
Local farmers had blamed Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Mishra 'Teni' and his son Ashish Mishra for the violence that left eight dead, including four farmers, a local journalist, and three others. They were mowed down allegedly by a vehicle that was part of the convoy of the Minister in Lakhimpur Kheri in north-central Uttar Pradesh.