Lakhimpur Kheri case: UP govt opposes bail plea of Union minister's son in SC

It is a grave and heinous crime and will send a wrong signal to society, the government said while opposing the bail plea of Ashish Mishra, who is one of the prime accused in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case.

New Delhi, Jan 19: The Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday opposed in the Supreme Court the bail plea of Union Minister Ajay Kumar Mishra's son, who is one of the accused in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case.

"It is a grave and heinous crime and will send a wrong signal to society," Additional Advocate General for Uttar Pradesh Garima Prashad told a bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice JK Maheshwari.

Senior advocate Dushyant Dave, appearing for those opposing the bail plea, said grant of bail will send a terrible message to society.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Mishra, strongly opposed Dave's submission and submitted that his client has been in custody for more than a year and the way the trial is going, it will take seven to eight years to complete it. He said that Jagjeet Singh, who is the complainant in the case, is not an eyewitness and his complaint is just based on hearsay.

SC reserves order

The Supreme Court reserved its order on the bail plea of Union Minister Ajay Kumar Mishra's son, who is one of the accused in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case.

A bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice J K Maheshwari heard submissions from Additional Advocate General for Uttar Pradesh Garima Prashad, and senior advocates Mukul Rohatgi and Dushyant Dave. "We will pass orders," the bench said.

On October 3, 2021, eight people were killed in Lakhimpur Kheri district's Tikunia in a violence that erupted when farmers were protesting then Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya's visit to the area.

According to Uttar Pradesh Police FIR, four farmers were mowed down by an SUV, in which Ashish Mishra was seated. Following the incident, a driver and two BJP workers were allegedly lynched by angry farmers. A journalist also died in the violence.