Lakhimpur Kheri violence case: Trial not 'slow paced', says Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Tuesday said the trial in the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence case in which Union minister Ajay Kumar Mishras son Ashish is among those facing prosecution is not slow paced and directed the concerned sessions judge to keep apprising it about the future developments of the trialThe top court observed though it is not monitoring the trial but it is having an indirect supervision on itA bench of Justices Surya Kant and J K Maheshwari said the interim direction contained in its January 25 order by which it had granted eightweek interim bail to Ashish Mishra in the case shall continue to operateAdvocate Prashant Bhushan representing the victim families told the bench that about 200 prosecution witnesses have to be examined and he is concerned about the slow pace of the trialThe trial is not slow paced We have received three letters from the trial judge the bench observed adding it had gone through the contents of the letters received from the First Additional District and Sessions Judge Lakhimpur KheriThe top court said as per the letters examination of three witnesses is over while crossexamination of one of them is going onWe are not using the word monitoring but we are having indirect supervision on the trial and we will do that it said adding Let us continue with the same status for some more timeOn January 25 the apex court granted eightweek interim bail to Ashish Mishra and directed him to leave Uttar Pradesh within one week of his release from jailOn October 3 2021 eight people were killed in Lakhimpur Kheri districts Tikunia after violence erupted when farmers were protesting against the then Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Mauryas visit to the areaAccording 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 violenceDuring the hearing on Tuesday senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi appearing for Ashish Mishra told the bench at the outset that after the January 25 order his client was released from jail and he has appeared before the trial court on every date of hearingThe bench said it has received letters from the trial judge and the proceedings are going on and witnesses are being examinedThe trial court shall continue to apprise this court of the future developments of the trial the bench said and posted the matter for hearing in MayAlso Read Unidentified caller threatens to blow up BKU leader Rakesh Tikait PoliceWhile hearing the matter on February 13 the apex court had said With a view to ensure that trial proceedings can run smoothly and no impediment is caused by anyone it is directed that the accused persons and one family member of each victimcomplainant shall be permitted to attend the court proceedings along with their respective counsels in both the First Information ReportsIn its January 25 order the top court had exercised its suomoto constitutional powers and directed that four accused Guruwinder Singh Kamaljeet Singh Gurupreet Singh and Vichitra Singh who were arrested in connection with a separate FIR lodged over the killing of three occupants of the SUV which allegedly mowed down farmers there be released on interim bail till further ordersWhile granting eightweek interim bail to Ashish Mishra the bench said any attempt made by him his family or supporters to influence or threaten the witnesses directly or indirectly shall entail cancellation of interim bailIt said Ashish Mishra shall surrender his passport to the trial court within one week of his release on interim bail and not enter Uttar Pradesh except to attend the trial proceedingsThe apex court also said he shall disclose the place of his residence to the trial court as well as the jurisdictional police station where he would stay during the period of interim bailThe trial court shall send progress reports to this court after every date of hearing along with details of witnesses examined on each dateiquest the top court had saidThe Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on July 26 last year rejected Ashish Mishras bail plea He had challenged the high courts order in the apex courtOn December 6 last year the trial court framed charges against Ashish Mishra and 12 others for the alleged offences of murder criminal conspiracy and other penal laws in the case of death of the four protesting farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri paving the way for the start of the trialThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever