HC grants bail to Lakhimpur Kheri accused Ashish Mishra

New Delhi, Feb 10: The Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court granted bail to Ashish Mishra, the son of MOS Ajay Mishra Teni.  Ashish is undergoing investigation  by High Court appointed committee and state enquiry panel. He is in jail for over two months, being accused of inciting violence in Lakhimpur Kheri during farmers’ agitation.

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Thursday said bail to the prime accused in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence, Ashish Mishra, is “unfortunate and surprising”. “The brutal case of four farmers and a journalist being crushed to death in broad daylight by the son of a Union Minister was a trial for the rule of law across the country. In such a case, despite clear evidence, the ‘murder accused’ getting bail so soon, and that too on the first day of elections in Uttar Pradesh, is a matter of surprise,” the SKM said in a statement. ‘The court granting bail to Ashish Mishra without considering the firm possibility of a politically powerful accused influencing the witnesses is extremely disappointing,” the SKM added. The farmers body also alleged that since the “massacre”, the police and administration are constantly trying to protect Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra Teni and his son. “From the very beginning, the Uttar Pradesh Police has been negligent in investigating this case and apprehending the accused, and has tried to dilute the case,” it said. “The Morcha demands that the government should immediately file an appeal against this decision of the High Court. Samyukta Kisan Morcha will cooperate fully with the families of the victims in filing an appeal after taking the opinion of the country’s leading lawyers in this regard,” the SKM said. The Morcha also appealed to the people of Uttar Pradesh, to punish Bhartiya Janata Party in the assembly polls. Earlier in the day, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court granted bail to Ashish Mishra, who is the prime accused in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence of October 3.