LUCKNOW: The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court on Tuesday rejected the bail application of Ashish Mishra alias ‘Monu’, son of Union minister Ajay Mishra ‘Teni’ and prime accused in the Lakhimpur violence that left eight people dead.
A bench of Justice Krishna Pahal said that the accused could influence the witnesses and the trial if he is granted bail.
The court had reserved its order after hearing the arguments of the defense and the prosecution on July 15.
In February this year, the Lucknow bench had granted bail to him. Later, the Supreme Court of India quashed the bail order and directed the high court to decide on his petition after giving adequate opportunity to the victim’s side.
Accordingly, the high court considered the bail plea afresh.
Mishra is the prime accused in the killing of four farmers and a journalist at Tikunia in Lakhimpur Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh in October last year.
A convoy of vehicles allegedly belonging to him had run into a farmers’ protest march against the three farm laws. In the ensuing violence, two workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), to which Mishra’s father belongs to, and the driver of a vehicle were also killed by an angry mob.
The Central government later repealed the laws in face of huge protests in Delhi and several parts of the country.