The Supreme Court has issued a directive to Ashish Mishra, son of former Union Minister Ajay Mishra, to submit a formal response regarding allegations of threatening witnesses connected to the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence case. This case tragically resulted in the deaths of eight individuals during a protest.
During the proceedings on Wednesday, a bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan addressed concerns raised by a counsel representing one of the complainants. The counsel claimed that witnesses had been subjected to threats by Mishra, a point which senior advocate Siddharth Dave, representing Mishra, vehemently denied.
The justices have requested Mishra to clarify his position through an affidavit, giving him a four-week timeframe to comply. This order follows a series of legal developments concerning Mishra’s involvement in the violent incident that took place on October 3, 2021, in Tikunia, Uttar Pradesh, where four farmers were allegedly run over by a vehicle Mishra was associated with. The ensuing chaos also led to the death of a driver, two BJP workers, and a journalist.
In a past hearing, Dave refuted the allegations of his client’s presence at the scene, stating, “It’s not me in the photographs. This is not for this court, this is for outside,” indicating that the claims lacked merit within the legal confines of the Supreme Court.
Previously, on July 22, the Supreme Court had granted bail to Ashish Mishra with strict restrictions on his movements, confining him to Delhi or Lucknow to minimize any potential influence on ongoing proceedings. This bail adjustment was partly due to the need for Mishra to tend to his ailing mother and for his daughter’s treatment within the National Capital Territory.
Additionally, on December 6 of the previous year, the trial court moved forward by framing charges against Mishra and 12 others for alleged murder and criminal conspiracy among other offences, setting the stage for the trial.
