In the latest development in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case, hearing on the bail application of the main accused Ashish Mishra will now be held on May 30 in Lucknow.
Two weeks ago, bail applications of the associates of Ashish Misra were rejected by the Allahabad High Court.
Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh of the Lucknow division bench of Allahabad High Court rejected the bail applications of Ankit Das, Shishupal, Sumit Jaiswal and Lavkush. In its order, the HC, while rejecting all the arguments made by the accused, underlined the political clout of the accused and said that in such a situation, there is a "possibility of destruction of evidence and impact on the witnesses if they get bail".
Singh also made a scathing remark on the conduct of the Union Minister, saying that, "this incident might not have taken place if the Union Minister of State for Home had not taken alleged utterances" as has been pointed out in the counter affidavit filed on behalf of the Investigating Agency and also mentioned in the charge sheet.
"Several innocent lives would not have lost in a most cruel, diabolic, barbaric, gruesome and inhuman manner," he said.
Eight people lost their lives in the violence that erupted during the farmers' protest in Lakhimpur Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh last year.
The violence took place ahead of a visit to Lakhimpur by Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya. Four of the dead were people in cars that were part of a convoy of BJP workers who had come to welcome the UP minister.
While farmers' outfits alleged that Ashish Misra was inside a car that ran over the four farmers, the Union minister's son denied the claims.
