Lakhimpur Kheri case: Ashish Mishra released from jail on bail

Lakhimpur Kheri (UP): Ashish Mishra, the son of Union minister Ajay Kumar Mishra, was released from jail on Friday after the Supreme Court had granted him interim bail in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case. Senior superintendent of the Kheri district jail Vipin Kumar Mishra told PTI, "He (Ashish Mishra) has been released from the jail. We have got the release order from the sessions court." The Supreme Court on Wednesday had granted eight-week interim bail to him in the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence which claimed eight lives.

A bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice J K Maheshwari directed that Ashish Mishra shall not stay in Uttar Pradesh or Delhi during the interim bail period. On October 3, 2021, eight people were killed in Lakhimpur Kheri district's Tikunia where violence erupted when farmers were protesting against the then deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya's visit to the area. According to the Uttar Pradesh Police FIR, four farmers were mowed down by an SUV in which Ashish Mishra was seated. Following the incident, the driver of the SUV and two BJP workers were allegedly lynched by angry farmers.

A journalist also died in the violence. Ashish Mishra was arrested on October 9, 2021. He was released on bail on February 15, 2022 following a high court order. On April 18, 2022, the Supreme Court cancelled the bail granted by the Allahabad High Court to Ashish Mishra and asked him to surrender in a week's time. On April 24 last year, Ashish Mishra surrendered.

It remanded back the bail application to the HC for fresh adjudication within three months "in a fair, impartial and dispassionate manner, and keeping in view the settled parameters". The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court had on July 26 last year rejected Ashish Mishra's bail plea. He had challenged the high court's order in the apex court. Meanwhile, Union minister Ajay Kumar Mishra was not in Lakhimpur Kheri district on Friday. Officials said that Ashish Mishra was brought out of jail through the back gate amid tight security.