Today, On 11th December, The Supreme Court allowed Ashish Mishra, son of former Union Minister Ajay Mishra and accused in the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence case, to visit his hometown from December 25 to 31 to support his daughter before her Class 12 exams.
The Supreme Court permitted Ashish Mishra, the son of former Union Minister Ajay Mishra and an accused in the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence case, to return to his hometown from December 25 to 31 to support his daughter before her Class 12 board exams.
This follows a previous ruling on October 9, which allowed Mishra to visit Lakhimpur Kheri on October 20 to celebrate Diwali with his family.
A bench consisting of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi considered the arguments presented by senior advocate Siddharth Dave, representing Mishra, and granted the request, reiterating that prior bail conditions including a prohibition on political activities remain in effect.
During the proceedings, the Chief Justice acknowledged the progress of the ongoing trial, noting that 36 witnesses have already been examined while 85 remain.
In a related case concerning another FIR, 35 witnesses are yet to be heard. The Uttar Pradesh Additional Advocate General informed the bench that there are 789 pending trials before the same judge handling this case.
The bench remarked on the burden facing various special courts, indicating that these issues would be addressed comprehensively in March 2026.
Previously, when allowing Mishra to visit his hometown, the bench had emphasized that political figures or the public should not participate in such celebrations in any capacity and directed Mishra to remain outside Lakhimpur during the trial.
Earlier, On January 20, the Supreme Court requested a report from the state police following claims that Mishra was attempting to influence witnesses in the Lakhimpur Kheri case. Mishra has denied these allegations, claiming that such assertions arise each time the matter is brought before the court to seek the cancellation of his bail.
The apex court granted him bail on July 22 of the previous year with restrictions on his movements in Delhi and Lucknow.
The events of October 3, 2021, resulted in the deaths of eight individuals, including four farmers, during protests against Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya’s visit to the area. Four farmers were reportedly struck by a sports utility vehicle, leading to the lynching of a driver and two BJP workers by enraged farmers.
A journalist also lost his life in the incident. In December 2023, the trial court formally charged Mishra and 12 others with murder, criminal conspiracy, and other offenses concerning the deaths of the farmers, setting the stage for the trial.