Lakhimpur violence: SC reserves order on plea challenging bail for Ashish Mishra

The Supreme Court on Monday (April 4) reserved orders in a plea seeking cancellation of bail to Ashish Mishra, the son of Union Minister of State Ajay Mishra and an accused in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case, which claimed eight lives, including four farmers.

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court had granted bail to Ashish Mishra on February 10. The relatives of the some of the victims of the Lakhimpur case then approached the apex court seeking cancellation of Ashish’s bail. They argued before Chief Justice of India NV Ramana on Monday that following Ashish’s release a witness in the case was attacked on March 10. Senior Advocate Dushyant Dave, appearing for the petitioners, said the witnesses were threatened. Dave read out the FIR in the case, “Ab BJP satte me hai dekh tera kya haal hoga (Now that the BJP is in power, see what happens to you),” and asked, “Is this not a serious case?”

Also read: UP govt to SC: ‘Vehemently opposed’ Ashish Mishra’s bail

Uttar Pradesh government counsel Mahesh Jethmalani arguing against the appeal: “There can’t be a mini-trial at this stage. No words can be enough to convey what happened… As for tampering with evidence, we have provided security. Is he a flight risk? He is not.”

CJI Ramana remarked that the Bench will pass orders.

During an earlier hearing, the SC stated that the monitoring judge had asked the Uttar Pradesh government to seek cancellation of bail granted by the Allahabad High Court to Ashish.

“There are two letters sent by the SIT to the Additional chief secretary (home) of the Uttar Pradesh government by the monitoring judge who had written to the state to file appeal in SC to cancel bail of main accused Ashish Mishra,” the SC bench had said then.