Charges Framed in Lakhimpur Kheri Violence, Union Minister’s Son Principal Accused
NEW DELHI, Dec 6: The Lakhimpur Kheri district court on Tuesday framed charges against Ashish Misra, the son of the union minister of state for home Ajay Misra, and 13 others in connection with the mowing down of four farmers and a local journalist by a speeding car during the farmers’ agitation.
Ashish Misra, whose father owned the car, has been named the principal accused. District government counsel (Criminal) Arvind Tripathi said the court of additional district judge Sunil Kumar Verma fixed December 16 as the next date of hearing.
Charges of murder, attempt to murder, rioting and the Arms Act, among others, were framed against Misra in the case. Misra and other accused have been charged under sections 148, 149, 302, 307, 326, 427, 120B, IPC, 177 MV Act and Arms Act. The Kheri District Court had on Monday rejected the discharge plea moved by Mishra.
A Supreme Court Bench of Justices B. R. Gavai and B. V. Nagarathna on November 11, 2022, withdrew for the sake of “judicial propriety” from hearing the bail application of Misra. In April, Justice Surya Kant had authored a scathing judgment against Misra while cancelling his bail granted by the Allahabad High Court.
On October 3 2021, eight people, were killed in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence during a farmers’ protest against the visit of U. P. Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya to Ajay Mishra’s village in Lakhimpur Kheri district. While five people were allegedly mowed down by the car, three others were killed in subsequent violence for which a separate investigation was being carried out by the Uttar Pradesh police.
(Manas Dasgupta)
