Lakhimpur Violence Case: Union Minister's Son, Accused Of Running Over Farmers, Walks Out Of Jail

The Allahabad High Court had granted bail to Ashish Mishra On February 10 in the Lakhimpur violence case that claimed the lives of eight people, including four farmers.

New Delhi: Union Minister of State for Home Ajai Misra Teni's son Ashish Misra, who was named as the prime accused in the Lakhimpur Kheri case, walked out of jail on Tuesday after being granted bail. 

The Allahabad High Court on February 10 had granted bail to Ashish Mishra in the Lakhimpur incident.

Ashish Mishra is the key accused in the violence that claimed eight lives on October 3 under the Tikunia police station limits of Lakhimpur Kheri. He was arrested on October 9.

He had moved to Allahabad High Court after his bail plea was rejected by the lower court. Justice Rajiv Singh's bench had heard his plea on January 18, 2022, and reserved its order which was announced on Thursday granting him bail. 

Ashish Mishra's advocate Salil Kumar Srivastava said that the police could not prove in their report that Ashish was present in the vehicle that drove farmers to death and claimed that the police did not do a proper investigation.  He said that 192 affidavits were filed on behalf of the defence which stated that Ashish Mishra was not at the spot but the police did not include the affidavit in its investigation and chargesheet.

READ | Allahabad HC Grants Bail To Ashish Misra In Lakhimpur Violence Case

Srivastava claimed that Ashish's driver Hariom Mishra was driving the Thar jeep from which the farmer was crushed to death, hence he is at fault. 

The counsel appearing on behalf of the Union minister's son had told the court that his client was innocent and there was no evidence against him that he incited the driver of a vehicle to crush the farmers.

Opposing the plea, Additional Advocate General V K Shahi had said that at the time of the incident, Ashish Mishra was in the car that mowed down the farmers.

The Lakhimpur Kheri violence which took place on October 3 last year shocked the nation. Four farmers were crushed to death under the wheels of a convoy of cars, including the one belonging to Union minister Ajay Mishra. The incident also claimed the life of a journalist.

The convoy had run over a group of farmers demonstrating against the visit of deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya to Teni's native place for a programme.