Lakhimpur Kheri violence: Supreme Court Allows Ashish Mishra to travel to Delhi

The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted Ashish Mishra permission to visit Delhi to attend to his ailing mother, with the condition that he does not interact with the media regarding the ongoing Lakhimpur Kheri violence case.

A bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Dipankar Datta modified its earlier order granting interim bail to Ashish Mishra with conditions not to visit Delhi NCT.

The Apex Court lifted the stay on the condition that Ashish Mishra is not allowed to enter Delhi NCT. However, he has been directed not to participate in any public functions or address the media in connection with the case. The court extended his interim bail until further notice.

Ashish Mishra had sought a modification of the Supreme Court’s earlier order that prohibited him from visiting Delhi NCT. The top court has now permitted him to visit the hospital in Delhi to take care of his ailing mother and seek medical treatment for his daughter.

On January 25, the Apex Court had granted Ashish Mishra interim bail for eight weeks with various conditions. This bail had been extended several times. During this period, he was not allowed to stay in Uttar Pradesh or Delhi NCT. He was also required to inform the relevant court about his whereabouts and mark his attendance at the local police station. The Supreme Court had warned that any attempt by him or his family to influence witnesses or delay the trial could result in the cancellation of his bail.

Ashish Mishra, the son of Union Minister Ajay Mishra, had moved the Supreme Court to challenge the Allahabad High Court’s denial of bail in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case. On July 26, 2022, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court had rejected his bail application. Mishra is facing charges of murder in the incident that occurred on October 3, 2021, where eight people, including four farmers, were killed in Lakhimpur Kheri. He was accused of running over the protesting farmers who were demonstrating against the Centre’s three farm laws. He was arrested on October 9, 2021, and granted bail in February 2022.

However, the Top Court had set aside the Allahabad High Court’s order in April 2022 and ordered a fresh consideration of his bail plea. The top court had appointed a committee led by retired Punjab and Haryana high court judge Rakesh Kumar Jain to oversee the probe into the Lakhimpur Kheri violence.