Prime accused in Lakhimpur Kheri case attacked, SC told

New Delhi: The Supreme Court will hear on March 15 a plea by the relatives of the victims of Lakhimpur Kheri, challenging the grant of bail to main accused Ashish Mishra, son of Union minister of state for home Ajay Mishra Teni as lawyer Prashant Bhushan told the court that on Thursday evening one of the prime witnesses was attacked.

On October 3, 2021, four farmers were mowed down by an SUV that was allegedly being driven by Ashish Mishra. 

Making a mentioning, Mr Bhushan on Friday told a bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana that the matter was to be heard on Friday but is not in the list and urged the court to take it up on Monday (March 14).

“It was to be heard today. Last night there was an attack on one of the prime witnesses of the case,” Mr Bhushan told the court.

CJI Ramana then said that it will be listed on Tuesday (March 15), adding that the plea could not get listed on Friday due to a mistake by the office.
“It is an office mistake. This will be listed on Tuesday,” CJI said.

Following a mentioning by Mr Bhushan on March 4 for an urgent listing of the plea challenging grant of bail to Ashish Mishra by Allahabad high court, CJI Ramana had said that the matter will be listed on March 11. The trial court had in November 2021 rejected Mr Mishra’s plea for bail. However, he was granted bail by the high court on February 10, 2022.

The family members of the deceased farmers who were mowed down by a car belonging to Ashish Mishra approached the top court on February 21, challenging the bail. In their plea the family members of the deceased farmers say that they have been forced to approach the top court, since the Uttar Pradesh government has not challenged the high court order granting bail to Ashish Mishra.

After Mishra was arrested, the Uttar Pradesh Police’s special investigation team (SIT) filed a 5,000-page chargesheet before a local court, naming Mishra as the prime accused in the case.