Trial in Lakhimpur Kheri violence case will take 5 years to conclude, says report in SC

New Delhi: The trial in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case against accused Ashish Mishra, according to a report will take five years to conclude, the Supreme Court noted on Wednesday. The bench of justices Surya Kant and V Ramasubramanian made the observations while hearing the plea filed by Ashish Mishra, challenging the Allahabad High Court order which denied him bail in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case.

208 witnesses in Lakhimpur Kheri violence case

The report of Additional Sessions Judge Lakhimpur Kheri said it will take 5 years for the trial to conclude as there are 208 witnesses in the case, the bench noted.

The report was filed in pursuance to the direction issued by the Supreme Court to Additional Sessions Judge at Lakhimpur Kheri to apprise top court how much time the trial of Lakhimpur violence case is likely to take without compromising with other pending matters.

Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh government apprised the court that charges have been framed against the accused in the case. The court sought to know if the co-accused in the case are in custody. Due to the unavailability of the complainant's counsel in the matter, the court on Wednesday adjourned the matter for January 19, asking the UP government to inform it whether the accused in the matter are still in custody.

The complainant`s counsel, Prashant Bhushan, urged the court to hold the trial on a day-to-day basis and deal with the material witnesses first.

Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi appeared for Mishra in the matter. Ashish Mishra, the son of Union Minister Ajay Mishra, moved Supreme Court challenging Allahabad High Court which denied bail to him in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri violence caseOn July 26, 2022, the Allahabad High Court denied bail to Ashish Mishra, the son of Union Minister Ajay Mishra, in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case. The bail was rejected by the Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court.

The said order is challenged by Ashish Mishra in the Supreme Court filed through advocate on record T Mahipal.

Four farmers died in the Lakhimpur case and the accused and the accused's car was present there. This case comes under the category of a heinous crime, said the High Court had said earlier.

Allegations against Ashish Mishra in Lakhimpur Kheri violence

Mishra is facing a case of murder for the incident that took place on October 3, 2021, in which eight people, including four farmers, were killed in Lakhimpur Kheri.

Mishra allegedly ran over the farmers who were protesting against the Centre`s three farm laws. He was arrested on October 9 and granted bail in February 2022.

Mishra, again moved to the High Court as its earlier order was set aside by the Supreme Court in April 2022 and had ordered fresh consideration of his bail plea. The top court, earlier, set aside the Allahabad High Court order dated February 10, 2022, and remitted the matter back to the High Court. The top court had said that the order of the Allahabad High Court cannot be sustained and had to be set aside and the bail bonds of the respondent/accused are cancelled. The court had directed Ashish Mishra to surrender within a week.

Family members of the victims of the Lakhimpur Kheri incident moved the Supreme Court challenging the Allahabad High Court order, which granted bail to Ashish Mishra. The top court cancelled the bail plea of Mishra.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had appointed a committee headed by retired Punjab and Haryana high court judge Rakesh Kumar Jain to monitor the probe into the Lakhimpur Kheri violence.