UP , 24/4: Ashish Mishra, the main accused in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence of October 3, 2021, surrendered in the court of the chief judicial magistrate on Sunday in compliance with the Supreme Court directive. He is the son of Union Minister Ajay Kumar Mishra Teni.
The development comes six days after the Supreme Court cancelled his bail and granted him a week to surrender.
Ashish Mishra was granted bail by the Allahabad High Court in February 2022 in connection with the violence that broke out in Lakhimpur Kheri in October 2021, wherein eight people, including four farmers, were killed.
However, last week, the apex court revoked Ashish Mishra’s bail, disposing of a petition filed by farmers, who had challenged the Allahabad High Court’s order.
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The three-judge bench noted that the victims of the violence were denied the right of hearing in the Allahabad High Court that had granted bail to Mishra. It also asked the high court to reconsider the bail granted to Ashish Mishra.
The incident dates back to October 3, 2021, when a group of farmers was protesting in Lakhimpur Kheri district against the Centre’s three farm laws. However, a violent clash broke out, during which an SUV—reportedly owned by Union MoS Ajay Mishra—ran over the farmers, killing four of them.
As alleged by the protesting farmers, Ajay Mishra’s son Ashish Mishra was inside the car when the accident took place.
Following this, a case was registered and the Supreme Court also appointed retired Punjab and Haryana High Court judge Rakesh Kumar Jain to monitor and investigate the incident. An SIT was also reconstituted by the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government, which includes three IPS officers.
At the same time, the minister’s son was also arrested. However, after investigation and filing a charge sheet, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court granted bail to Mishra on February 10, 2022.