The Supreme Court said on Tuesday, 15 March, that a bench will be constituted to hear the plea challenging the bail of Union Minister Ajay Mishra's son Ashish Mishra, the prime accused in Lakhimpur Kheri violence of October 2021.
Headed by Chief Justice NV Ramana, the bench will comprise Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli and is scheduled to hear the matter on Wednesday, 16 March.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan had requested for an urgent hearing in the case on Tuesday, claiming that the prime witness in the Lakhimpur case was allegedly attacked and threatened that the BJP will “take care of him” since the party has won the elections.
Appearing for the petitioner, Bhushan said,
“After bail was granted to him (Mishra), one of the prime protected witnesses was brutally attacked. The people who attacked him said, now that BJP has won election they'll take care of him.”
Kin of Mowed Down Farmers Challenge Mishra's Bail
The apex court will hear special leave petitions by the families of the farmers killed in the violence since Uttar Pradesh had failed to file an appeal challenging Mishra’s bail.
He was granted bail by a single-member bench of the Allahabad High Court on 10 February.
Bhushan said that others accused in the case have followed suit and moved Allahabad HC seeking bail.
Eight people, including four farmers, were killed in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri in October 2021, after being run over by a convoy of cars. Ashish Mishra, whose car was part of the convoy, had been arrested on murder charges.
(With inputs from LiveLaw.)
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