The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed it to keep it informed about the hearing of the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case. The court, however, denied that the hearing of the case was going on at a ‘slow pace’.
Ashish Mishra, son of Union minister Ajay Kumar Mishra, is an accused in the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence case. Eight people lost their lives in this violence.
The top court said that though the matter is not being heard under its supervision, it is “indirectly monitoring it”.
Justice Suryakant and Justice J. Of. Maheshwari’s bench said that the interim directions given in its order dated January 25 be followed.
The apex court had on January 25 granted interim bail to Ashish Mishra for eight weeks.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the relatives of the victims, told the bench that around 200 prosecution witnesses have been examined and he was concerned about the “slow trial”.
The bench said, “The hearing is not slow. We have received three letters from the trial judge.
The Court said that it has perused the letters received from the First Additional District and Sessions Judge, Lakhimpur Kheri.
The top court said that as per the letters, the examination of three witnesses is over, while the cross-examination of one witness is going on.
“We are not using the word monitoring, but we are watching the hearing indirectly and will continue to do so,” the bench said.
The Supreme Court had on January 25 granted interim bail to Ashish Mishra for eight weeks and directed him to leave Uttar Pradesh within a week of his release from jail.
Eight people were killed in violence on October 3, 2021, during farmers’ protest against the visit of the then Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya at Tikunia in Lakhimpur Kheri district.
According to the Uttar Pradesh Police FIR, four farmers were run over by an SUV and Ashish Mishra was sitting in this SUV.
Following the incident, the driver of the SUV and two Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers were allegedly beaten to death by angry farmers. A journalist also died in the violence.
During the hearing on Tuesday, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Mishra, told the bench that following the January 25 order, his client was released from jail and was appearing in the trial court on every hearing.
The bench said it has received letters from the trial court judge that the hearing is on and witnesses are being examined.
The bench, while listing the matter for May, said, “The trial court may continue to inform this court about the hearing.”
The apex court, while hearing the matter on February 13, had said, “In order to ensure smooth trial (in the trial court), we direct that one representative each of the accused or complainant, besides the accused in both the FIRs, and their respective Only lawyers will be present.
Lakhimpur Kheri violence
