The Supreme Court on Thursday permitted Ashish Mishra, son of former Union Minister Ajay Mishra and an accused in the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence case, to visit his hometown on October 20 to celebrate Diwali with his family members.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi reiterated that the earlier restriction barring political workers or members of the public from participating in such celebrations will continue to apply.
Senior advocate Siddharth Dave, appearing for Mishra, sought permission for his client to travel to Lakhimpur and assured the bench that he would return by October 22. The top court granted the request while maintaining the existing restrictions imposed at the time of bail.
The bench also noted progress in the trial of the case. It recorded that 23 witnesses have been examined, while nine witnesses have been dropped so far. The court directed the Uttar Pradesh Police to submit the current status of the investigation on record.
During the hearing, advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing some victims, urged the court to expedite the trial. The bench, however, observed that such a move would amount to monitoring the trial proceedings.
On March 24, the Supreme Court had allowed Mishra to visit his family in Lakhimpur Kheri on the occasion of Ram Navami.
Earlier, on January 20, the court had called for a report from the state police following allegations that Mishra was trying to influence witnesses. Mishra denied the claims, stating that similar allegations were made every time the matter came up for hearing, with the intent to seek cancellation of his bail.
Mishra was granted bail by the Supreme Court on July 22, 2023, with conditions restricting his movement to Delhi and Lucknow during the pendency of the trial.
The case stems from October 3, 2021, when eight people, including four farmers, were killed in Tikunia village of Lakhimpur Kheri district during a protest against the visit of Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya.
A speeding SUV allegedly mowed down the farmers, following which a driver and two BJP workers were beaten to death by angry protesters. A journalist also lost his life in the incident.
In December 2023, the trial court framed charges against Ashish Mishra and 12 others for murder, criminal conspiracy, and other offences, setting the stage for a full-fledged trial.
