Lakhimpur violence case: MoS Ajay Mishra's son denied bail, one more sent to police custody

Lakhimpur Kheri, Oct 13: The CJM court on Wednesday denied bail to Ashish Mishra, son of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra, in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case.

Chief Judicial Magistrate Chinta Ram rejected the bail applications of Ashish Mishra and his close aide Ashish Pandey, senior prosecution officer (SPO) SP Yadav told PTI. They have been sent to three-day police custody, while remanding Shekhar Bharti, arrested on Tuesday, in police custody for three days.

So far, the cops have arrested four people in connection with the case - Ashish Mishra, Luvkush, Ashish Pandey and Bharti. On Wednesday, one Ankit Das, a close friend of Ashish Mishra, appeared before the special investigation team (SIT). He is said to be a nephew of former minister Akhilesh Das and the black SUV which allegedly knocked down the four farmers is said to be owned by him.

On Tuesday, Das and one other identified as Latif had moved an application for surrender before the chief judicial magistrate.

On 3 October, a jeep owned by the son of Ajay Mishra mowed down protesting farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri. The enraged farmers set the jeep on fire and a total of eight people, including four farmers, were killed in the violence.

The minister's son with his accomplices was on their way to meet UP deputy chief Minister Keshava Prasad Maurya.

The incident was widely condemned by the opposition parties across the country and leaders demanded the resignation of Ajay Mishra. The case is now being investigated by a single-member commission led by Justice Pradeep Kumar Srivastava, a retired Allahabad High Court judge.