New Delhi, Jan 20 (UNI) The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Superintendent of Police, Lakhimpur (Uttar Pradesh), to conduct a fact-finding inquiry into allegations that Ashish Mishra attempted to influence witnesses in the Lakhimpur Kheri killings case.
The SP has been instructed to submit a report within four weeks.
A bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice N. Kotiswar Singh issued the direction while hearing an application filed by the family members of the deceased, seeking the cancellation of the bail granted to Mishra.
The applicants alleged that Mishra, the son of former Union Minister Ajay Kumar Mishra, was trying to interfere with the ongoing trial by influencing witnesses.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the applicants, argued that witnesses had been intimidated and could not reveal their identities due to fear of reprisal. He sought time to submit a recording that allegedly showed a witness being promised a reward in exchange for withholding evidence.
Senior Advocate Siddharth Dave, representing Mishra, refuted the allegations, labelling the application as “publicity-oriented.” He argued that Mishra was present at the Lok Sabha secretariat on the day in question, which he claimed was proof of the baselessness of the allegations.
When Dave accused the applicants of repeatedly making such allegations against Mishra, Bhushan countered with details from the application, emphasizing the need for an impartial investigation.
Justice Surya Kant remarked that a parallel inquiry might be necessary to ascertain if the alleged attempts to influence witnesses were made by Mishra’s associates or orchestrated by someone else. “In our view, the veracity, genuineness, and reliability of such material can be gone into by police administration, who will submit a report on the allegations made,” the bench observed in its order.
The Lakhimpur Kheri case involves the killings of five individuals in October 2021, when vehicles from Ashish Mishra’s convoy allegedly ran over a group of farmers protesting against the farm laws.
The incident triggered nationwide outrage and political controversy, as Mishra’s father, Ajay Kumar Mishra, was a Union Minister at the time.
The Supreme Court had taken suo motu cognizance of the incident, criticizing the Uttar Pradesh police for its delayed response and failure to arrest Ashish Mishra. Following the Court’s intervention, Mishra was arrested.
In February 2022, the Allahabad High Court granted bail to Mishra, but the Supreme Court later set aside the order in April 2022.
The apex court found that the High Court had overlooked key considerations while granting bail and remanded the case for a fresh hearing.
After re-hearing the matter, the Allahabad High Court dismissed Mishra’s bail application. However, in January 2023, the Supreme Court granted Mishra interim bail for eight weeks, which was subsequently extended and made absolute.
The bail order allowed Mishra to reside either in Delhi or Lucknow and imposed several conditions to ensure his compliance with legal proceedings.
The Supreme Court has asked the Superintendent of Police, Lakhimpur, to conduct a thorough investigation into the allegations and submit a detailed report within four weeks. The findings of the inquiry will determine the Court’s subsequent course of action.
