New Delhi, January 20, 2025: The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Uttar Pradesh Police to submit a report on allegations that Ashish Mishra, son of Union Minister Ajay Mishra, is attempting to influence witnesses in the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence case.
A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and N. Kotiswar Singh instructed the Superintendent of Police, Lakhimpur Kheri, to conduct a fact-finding inquiry and present the findings to the court.
Ashish Mishra, however, refuted the allegations in his affidavit, asserting that such claims are routinely made whenever the case is brought before the court in an effort to revoke his bail, which was granted by the Supreme Court.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the complainants, claimed to possess an audio recording that allegedly demonstrates attempts to influence key witnesses. He further accused Mishra of violating his bail conditions by attending a public event.
Urging the court to cancel Mishra’s bail, Bhushan requested an investigation into the authenticity of the evidence presented. Senior advocate Siddharth Dave, representing Mishra, opposed the plea, arguing that his client is being unfairly targeted. Dave also contended that Mishra was in the Lok Sabha Secretariat in Delhi at the time of the alleged public event.
The bench instructed both Bhushan and Dave to submit their respective evidence to Ruchira Goel, the standing counsel for the Uttar Pradesh government, who will forward it to the Lakhimpur Kheri SP for examination.
The court has scheduled the next hearing for four weeks from now.
The Supreme Court granted bail to Ashish Mishra on July 22, 2022, with restrictions limiting his movement to Delhi and Lucknow.
The violence in Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3, 2021, occurred during a farmers’ protest against Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya’s visit to the area. Eight people lost their lives in the incident, including four farmers who were allegedly run over by a sports utility vehicle. The driver and two BJP workers were subsequently lynched by enraged farmers. A journalist also died during the violence.
As the case progresses, the Supreme Court’s intervention has renewed focus on the sensitive matter, with questions about adherence to bail conditions and the alleged intimidation of witnesses adding complexity to the ongoing legal proceedings.
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