Lakhimpur: Ashish Mishra, prime accused in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case, has been released in bail following completion of formalities. The son of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra Teni was granted bail by the Allahabad High Court.
Ashish, who was lodged in the Lakhimpur Kheri district jail since October 10 last year, was released after the completion of bail formalities, jail superintendent PP Singh said.The Lucknow bench of the high court granted him bail on February 10.
Justice Rajeev Singh directed Ashish Mishra, who is charged with murder (Section 302 of the IPC), attempt to murder (Section 307) attempt to murder and rioting (Section 147), to not leave the state without permission and not to tamper with any evidence.
"It is evident that as per the FIR, the role of firing was assigned to the applicant for killing the protesters…But during the course of investigation, no such firearm injuries were found either on the body of any of the deceased or on the body of any injured person," the court said in the bail order.
At least 8 people - including 2 BJP workers and the driver of the car - were killed after an SUV allegedly belonging to Ashish Mishra plowed into a crowd of protesting farmers agitating agains the now-repealed farm laws. The brutal incident prompted widespread condemnation across the nation as well as calls for Ajay Mishra Teni to resign.
The Special Investigation Team probing the Lakhimpur Kheri violence incident has said that there was a planned conspiracy to murder protesting farmers.
Meanwhile, Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) spokesman, Rakesh Tikait, has said that the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) will approach the Supreme Court over the Lakhimpur Kheri episode, where four farmers were killed in the violence.
"The whole country and whole world watched the most infamous Lakhimpur Kheri episode of Ajay and Ashish Mishra, who despite having committed a heinous crime gets bail within three months...such dictatorial government needed, or this type of system needed in which someone who mows down people under a vehicle walks out of jail within three months," the BKU spokesperson was quoted as saying by local media.