Lakhimpur Kheri Case: Ashish Mishra Surrenders, Returns To Jail

Lakhimpur: Home Minister Ajay Mishra’s son Ashish Mishra on April 24, in Uttar Pradesh surrendered before police. He has been sent back to the Lakhimpur prison. Last week Supreme Court had cancelled his bail and had given him a week’s time to surrender.

He is accused of ramming an SUV over the protesting farmers at Lakhimpur Kheri. He has murder charges against him. He is accused of murdering farmers and a journalist.

Allahabad High Court had earlier granted bail to Ashish Mishra in February this year. Last week SC cancelled his bail. SC allowed him to approach the Allahabad High Court again.

“The denial of victims’ right to be heard and the tearing hurry shown by the High Court merits the setting aside of the bail order,” the Supreme Court had said while cancelling the bail last week. The top court added that the FIR “cannot be treated as an encyclopaedia of events” and that judicial precedents were ignored.

In this high profile case, the witnesses have alleged that they were attacked and threatened not to testify.

On April 12, Hardeep Singh said that he was attacked by a group in the Rampur district. He was attacked for his role as a witness in the case. The police, however, contested the charge, saying they had not found any link to the case.

Alleging attack on him, was the second witness in the Lakhimpur Kheri case. A witness was attacked in March and attackers had issued threats citing the BJP’s victory in the recent UP election, farmers groups had alleged, saying Ashish Mishra’s bail must be cancelled as he is a threat to witnesses.

Eight people died in Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3. After four farmers and a journalist were crushed by the convoy of the Union Minister’s son, three more, including BJP workers, were killed in violence that broke out later.

The SC had asked the government to ensure that all witnesses are living in a safe state.