Lakhimpur Kheri violence: Supreme Court refuses to relax Ashish Mishra's bail terms

The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to further relax the bail conditions imposed on Ashish Mishra, the prime accused in the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence case [Ashish Mishra Alias Monu vs State of UP].

Mishra's counsel today told the Court that the bail terms imposed on him, which included travel restrictions, prevented him from attending family functions, including his daughter's birthday celebrations.

A Bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana, however, found no ground to entertain the prayer to further relax Mishra's bail conditions for the present.

"There is no ground to entertain this prayer at this stage," the Court said in its order dismissing Mishra's application.

Ashish Mishra, son of former Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Kumar Mishra (Teni), is the main accused in the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence case.

The case concerns the events of October 3, 2021 at Lakhimpur Kheri, where eight people, including four farmers and a journalist, were killed after vehicles that were linked to Ashish Mishra drove into a crowd protesting the since-revoked farm laws.

The Allahabad High Court had denied Mishra bail in 2022, before the trial court framed murder charges against him and 13 others in December 2022.

The Supreme Court subsequently granted him interim bail for eight weeks in January 2023, and regular bail in July 2024, subject to conditions restricting his residence and travel.

The Court had earlier this year declined to further ease those conditions despite similar pleas for attending family functions, and has continued to monitor the progress of the trial.

During today's hearing, advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the complainants, raised concerns over the manner in which the trial was being conducted.

He alleged that several crucial witnesses, including eyewitnesses, were being given up on account of the haste with which proceedings were moving.

He submitted that witnesses were being summoned for the very next day, and were dropped from the list if they failed to appear.

The CJI, however, was of the view that such grievances ought to be raised before the trial court first.

Bhushan also informed the Court that one of Mishra's supporters, who had been chargesheeted for allegedly attempting to influence a witness, has filed an application seeking permission to participate in the proceedings.

Counsel for Mishra disputed the characterisation, denying that the individual was his client's supporter. The Court has agreed to take up that application separately.

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