SC Seeks UP Police Report on Ashish Mishra’s Alleged Witness Influence in Lakhimpur Kheri Case

On Monday, the Supreme Court directed the Uttar Pradesh Police to submit a fact-finding report on allegations that Ashish Mishra, son of Union Minister Ajay Mishra, attempted to influence witnesses in the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence case. A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh instructed the Lakhimpur Kheri Superintendent of Police to investigate the claims and file a report, with the matter set for further hearing in four weeks.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the complainants, alleged that Mishra violated bail conditions by attending a public meeting and providing an audio recording as evidence of witness tampering. Mishra, however, denied these accusations in an affidavit, asserting that such claims are consistently raised to seek the cancellation of his bail granted by the apex court in July 2022. His lawyer, Siddharth Dave, contended that Mishra was being unfairly targeted and presented proof of his client’s presence in Delhi on the day of the alleged meeting.
The violence on October 3, 2021, in Tikunia, Lakhimpur Kheri, resulted in the deaths of eight people, including four farmers mowed down by a vehicle during a protest against Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya’s visit. The incident escalated as a driver and enraged farmers lynched two BJP workers, while a journalist also lost his life. The Supreme Court had earlier restricted Mishra’s movement to Delhi or Lucknow as part of his bail conditions.
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