The Supreme Court has directed the Uttar Pradesh police to investigate allegations that Ashish Mishra, son of former Union Minister Ajay Mishra, attempted to influence a witness in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case. The incident, which occurred in October 2021, resulted in the deaths of eight people, including four farmers.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi was informed that the Uttar Pradesh police had traced the witness, who claimed to have seen an SUV mowing down four farmers, to Muktsar village in Punjab. A Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) recorded his statement. The witness confirmed that he had been under pressure not to testify during the trial.
The court has directed the UP police to have the same DSP, or another officer of equal rank, complete the investigation into the allegations. The state government informed the court that the allegation made by the witness was found to have "some substance". Consequently, an FIR was registered on October 4 under sections 195A (threatening a person to give false witness), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code at the Padua police station in Lakhimpur Kheri.
Senior advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the witness, had previously informed the court that despite an order passed on March 24, directing the police to investigate the complaint and file a status report, no action had been taken. The court had criticized the U.P. police on August 7 for its inaction on the complaint, which was made on June 20. At that time, the police cited the complainant's unwillingness to visit the police station as the reason for the delay. The court had then instructed a senior officer to personally visit the complainant to verify the allegations.
The Supreme Court has allowed Ashish Mishra to visit his home in Lakhimpur Kheri to celebrate Diwali with his family, under specific conditions. He is permitted to meet only with family members and close relatives and must return to Lucknow by October 22. Political workers and members of the public are barred from being involved in the celebrations.
The Lakhimpur Kheri violence erupted when farmers were protesting against the visit of the then Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya to the area. Four farmers were killed when they were mowed down by a vehicle. Following this, a driver and two BJP workers were allegedly lynched by angry farmers. A journalist also died in the violence.
Ashish Mishra is accused of mowing down the four farmers on October 3, 2021, during the protest against the now-scrapped farm laws. He was granted bail by the Supreme Court on July 22, 2024, and his movement was restricted to Delhi or Lucknow. The court had earlier granted interim bail to Mishra on January 25, 2023, subject to certain conditions, including restrictions on influencing or threatening witnesses. The Supreme Court has clarified that any attempt by Ashish Mishra or his family to influence witnesses and try to delay the trial may lead to the cancellation of his bail.
The Supreme Court has been monitoring the progress of the trial and has directed the trial court to expedite the hearing. The court has been informed that 23 witnesses have been examined, nine have been dropped, two remain unserved, and the remaining have been summoned for the next hearing, scheduled for October 27.
