The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to further ease the bail conditions imposed on Ashish Mishra, one of the main accused in the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence case, rejecting his request to attend family functions.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to further relax the bail conditions of Ashish Mishra, the prime accused in the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence case.
Editorial Insight
Key Highlights
Supreme Court rejected Ashish Mishra's plea for further bail relaxation.
Bench led by CJI Surya Kant found no grounds for additional relief.
The case relates to the October 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence in which eight people were killed.
Bail conditions imposed earlier will continue.
Mishra sought permission to attend family functions.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V. Mohana dismissed Mishra's application seeking additional relaxation of the conditions imposed while granting him bail.
Appearing before the court, counsel for Mishra argued that the existing restrictions prevented him from attending important family occasions, including his daughters' birthday celebrations.
Rejecting the plea, the Chief Justice observed that there was no ground to entertain the request at this stage and dismissed the application. The court maintained that the existing bail conditions would continue to remain in force.
Editorial Analysis
Why This Matters
The Lakhimpur Kheri violence case remains one of India's most closely watched criminal and political cases. The Supreme Court's decision indicates that it intends to maintain strict oversight while the trial continues.
The case relates to the October 3, 2021 violence in Tikunia village of Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri district during a farmers' protest against the visit of then Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya.
Eight people lost their lives in the incident, including four farmers. According to the prosecution, the farmers were allegedly run over by a sports utility vehicle, after which violence broke out, leading to the deaths of a driver, two BJP workers and a journalist. Ashish Mishra remains one of the accused facing trial in the case.
