Reasons why court granted bail to union minister's son: 10 points

Ashish Mishra Teni, son of Union Minister Ajay Mishra Teni, was given bail in the case involving the killing of farmers in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri last year but the high court called into question the charges against him and rejected the police investigation.

A quick 10-point overview of this big story:

• In this election season, Ashish Mishra's alleged role in the deaths of farmers protesting in Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3 became a major issue, especially since his father is the Union Minister of State for Home in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration.
• In Lakhimpur Kheri, Ashish Mishra allegedly drove an SUV that ran over four farmers and a journalist. He was arrested days later.
• At Lakhimpur Kheri, the SUV rammed farmers without stopping, killing eight of them instantly. After the farmers were run over, violence broke out, killing three more, including two BJP workers.
• Today, the Allahabad High Court questioned certain police charges against Ashish Mishra, including firing at protesters. "Considering the facts and circumstances of the case in toto, it is evident that as per the FIR, the role of firing was assigned to the applicant (Ashish Mishra) 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.
• The court said Ashish Mishra is accused of inciting the SUV driver to run over farmers. "Thereafter, the prosecution alleged that the applicant provoked the driver of the vehicle for crushing the protesters, however, the driver along with two others, who were in the vehicle, had been killed by the protesters."
• Ashish Mishra, the court said, appeared before the Investigating officer when he was summoned and a charge sheet has already been filed. "In such circumstances, this Court is of the view that the applicant is entitled to be released on bail," said the high court.
• The high court said it "could not shut its eyes to the killing of three persons in the Thar SUV, including the driver, who were killed by the protesters". Photographs "clearly revealed the brutality of the protesters", the court said, naming those killed as Hariom Mishra, Shubham Mishra and Shyam Sunder.
• Despite only four people being charged, the court ordered the protest organizers to provide details of those seen beating up BJP workers.
• Bail for Ashish Mishra has sparked strong political reactions with the opposition reviving allegations that the ruling BJP is going all out to protect its own. Priyanka Gandhi raised it at a rally and asked: "Why has the minister not been sacked?"
• Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra questioned how Ashish Mishra qualified for bail. "3 basic principles of bail are that accused should NOT be able to: 1. Intimidate witnesses 2. Destroy evidence 3. Be flight risk. How does Ashish Mishra satisfy bail condition 1? Sitting minister's son, arrested only after 3 days, in election season?" she tweeted.