Lakhimpur Kheri Violence: Local Court Denies Bail To Union Minister's Son Ashish Misra

Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Misra 'Teni's son, Ashish Misra was denied bail today in the case registered against him in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri Violence incident.The bail has been denied by the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Lakhimpur Kheri, Chinta Ram, reported PTI.Apart from this, the UP Police has arrested two more persons in this case, who had appeared before the SIT for questioning. They have been sent to 14-day judicial custody.Senior prosecution officer (SPO) SP Yadav told PTI that Ashish Mishra and his alleged accomplice Ashish Pandey moved bail applications on Wednesday but they were rejected by Chief Judicial Magistrate Chinta Ram.Earlier, on Monday, Ashish was sent to Three-day police custody with conditions by a Lakhimpur court after the Uttar Pradesh police had filed an application before a Lakhimpur Kheri Court to seek his custody. On Sunday, he was sent to 14-day judicial custody following his arrest by the UP Police on Saturday at around 11 PM.Misra has been accused of running over his car on protesting farmers and killing 4 of them in Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3. On October 9, he had appeared before the Crime Branch office in Lakhimpur Kheri pursuant to a notice issued to him by the UP Police. Thereafter, he was arrested and sent to the Lakhimpur jail at around 1 am on Sunday (October 10) after 12 hours of questioning.He has already been named in a first information report (FIR) for Murder, Criminal Conspiracy in connection with the recent violent incident of Lakhimpur Kheri, in which a total of 8 people died, four of whom were mowed down by a vehicle allegedly being driven by Misra.The Uttar Pradesh Government has already appointed a single-member judicial commission comprising retired Allahabad High Court judge Justice Pradeep Kumar Srivastava to probe into the Lakhimpur Kheri Violence.Supreme Court records its dissatisfaction in the caseImportantly, the Supreme Court on October 8 recorded its dissatisfaction over the investigation done by the Uttar Pradesh Police in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence, which claimed the lives of 8 people, four of them being farmers protesters who were allegedly mowed down by the vehicles in the convoy of Ashish Mishra, the son of Union Minister and BJP MP Ajay Kumar Mishra.During the hearing, the bench asked why the accused has not been arrested. When Salve said that the police has served the summons on the main accused Ashish Mishra, the bench asked if that was the norm in all murder cases."We are not on merits. Allegation is of 302(Section 302 IPC murder offence). Treat him same way we treat other persons in other cases", the CJI orally told Salve.The bench pointed out that it was a case of the brutal murder of 8 people and in such a case, the police would normally arrest the accused immediately. The bench also pointed out that there were clear eyewitness statements."Law must take its course against whoever is involved", the bench orally remarked.Read court-room exchange here: Lakhimpur Kheri Violence : Supreme Court 'Not Satisfied' With UP Police Probe; Asks 'Is This The Way You Treat Accused In Other Murder Cases?By Sending Summons?'The PIL in this matter was registered on the basis of a letter sent by two lawyers from Uttar Pradesh seeking a time-bound CBI probe into the recent violent incident of Lakhimpur Kheri.They have sought judicial intervention and direction against the Union Government and the Uttar Pradesh government along with the concerned bureaucrats so that the cult of violence comes to a grinding halt.Claiming that of late, violence has become the political culture in the country now, the letter written by lawyers Shiv Kumar Tripathi and C. S. Panda prays for a CBI Probe under the supervision of the Supreme Court.

Lakhimpur Kheri Violence: Local Court Denies Bail To Union Minister's Son Ashish Misra

Sparsh Upadhyay

Tags