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Supreme Court on Wednesday directed Ashish Mishra, son of former Union Minister Ajay Mishra, to respond to allegations of witness intimidation in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case.
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed Ashish Mishra, son of former Union Minister Ajay Mishra, to respond to allegations of witness intimidation in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case. This directive followed claims, supported by photographs, alleging threats to witnesses.
A bench led by Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan instructed Mishra’s counsel to submit an affidavit addressing the allegations. Senior Advocate Siddharth Dave, representing Mishra, dismissed the claims, suggesting the photos were shared with ulterior motives.
However, the bench emphasized the need for a formal response, with Justice Kant stating, “You have to say this on affidavit.” The case is scheduled for a hearing in four weeks.
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Ashish Mishra is accused of involvement in the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence, which resulted in the deaths of four farmers during protests against the now-repealed farm laws. A total of eight people, including a journalist, were killed. The Uttar Pradesh Police’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) later submitted a 5,000-page chargesheet implicating Mishra and others, and the Supreme Court has been monitoring the trial.
Mishra was granted interim bail by the Supreme Court in January 2023, followed by regular bail in July. Under the bail conditions, he can reside in Delhi or Lucknow but is permitted to travel to Lakhimpur Kheri only for court appearances.
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The Allahabad High Court recently granted bail to 12 other accused, citing the large number of witnesses yet to be examined and the unlikely completion of the trial in the near future. The Supreme Court’s oversight underscores the gravity of the allegations and the ongoing legal proceedings in the case.
