The Kheri District Court on Monday denied the discharge applications of 13 accused in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case, including Union minister Ajay Kumar Mishra's son Ashish Mishra. The Court will also file charges against him tomorrow.
Arvind Tripathi, district government counsel (criminal) said that the court of additional district judge-I dismissed the discharge applications and fixed December 6 as the date for framing of charges against the accused, news agency PTI reported.
A chargesheet has been filed against each of the accused.
It is to be noted that this order came just days after the Supreme Court directed the Trial Court to set the matter for charge framing.
Eight people were killed on October 3, 2021, in Tikunia, Lakhimpur Kheri, during violence that was sparked by local farmers who were against the visit of deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya.
According to the Uttar Pradesh Police FIR, four farmers were killed by an SUV in which Ashish Mishra was seated.
Following the event, enraged farmers allegedly lynched the driver and two BJP workers. A journalist was also killed in the violence.
The chargesheet in the case was submitted in January 2022 after Ashish Mishra's arrest on October 9, 2021. A number of charges, including murder (302 IPC), criminal conspiracy (120B IPC), and others, have been filed against Mishra.
The Allahabad High Court granted bail to Mishra on February 10, this year, but it was overturned in April 2022 by a Supreme Court bench comprised of then-CJI NV Ramana, Justice Surya Kant, and Justice Hima Kohli, who noted that the High Court considered irrelevant factors while ignoring relevant ones. After that, the bail application was remanded to the High Court. The order came in response to an appeal filed by the relatives of the farmers killed in the crime.
Following the Supreme Court's remand, the High Court denied the bail application on July 26 after re-hearing the case.