Lakhimpur Kheri killings: Ashish Mishra's bail cancelled by Supreme Court, top court says victims denied the chance of effective hearing
In the latest development in the Lakhimpur Kheri killings case, the bail that was granted to Union Minister Ajay Mishra Teni’s son Ashish Mishra, who was accused of murdering farmers in Uttar Pradesh in 2021, was cancelled by the Supreme Court today.
On February 10, Ashish Mishra was granted bail by the Allahabad High Court. This happened when the campaign for the Uttar Pradesh election was taking place. However, his bail plea was challenged by the families of farmers who were killed on October 3 in a heart-wrenching incident in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri.
The bench included Justice Surya Kant and Justice Hima Kohli. They said that Allahabad High Court that granted bail to Ashish Mishra did not consider judicial precedents. The top court also remanded the matter back to the High Court to hear the issue afresh.
The SC also said that the FIR cannot be treated as an encyclopedia of events. Judicial precedents were ignored.
The apex court also said that the denial of victims to be heard and the tearing hurry showed by the High Court merits the setting aside of bail order. Thus, we remand the matter back to High Court for fresh consideration of the bail application of the accused.
In the Lakhimpur Kheri case, the farmer alleged that Mishra was driving a four-wheeler that mowed down several protesters and killed them. Ashish Mishra was also arrested later but he was granted bail by Allahabad High Court on February 10.
