NEW DELHI: While a guarantee to UNI Ajay Minister Ajay Ajay Mishra Ashish Mishra’s murder in the murder of farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri at Uttar Pradesh last year, a court today asked allegations against him and rejected policy research.
Here’s your 10-point cheat sheet to this big story:
- Ashish Mishra had been in jail since October and had been denied bail by local courts in Lakhimpur Kheri. The Allahabad High Court’s bail order questions the allegations against Ashish Mishra.
- “Considering the facts and circumstances of the case in toto, it is evident that as per the FIR, role of firing was assigned to the applicant (Ashish Mishra) for killing the protesters, but during the course of investigation, no such firearm injuries were found either on the body of any of the deceased or on the body of any injured person,” the court said.
- “Thereafter, the prosecution alleged that the applicant provoked the driver of the vehicle for crushing the protesters, however, the driver along with two others, who were in the vehicle, had been killed by the protesters.”
- The court also noted that Ashish Mishra appeared before the investigating officer when he was summoned and a charge sheet has already been filed. “In such circumstances, this Court is of the view that the applicant is entitled to be released on bail,” said the high court.
- On October 3, Ashish Mishra was allegedly driving the Mahindra Thar SUV that ran over four farmers and a journalist at Lakhimpur Kheri during a protest march against three controversial farm laws. He was arrested days later.
- Videos that triggered anger and shock showed an SUV ramming farmers and crushing them without breaking speed. Eight people were killed at Lakhimpur Kheri that day. After the farmers were run over, violence broke out in which three more, including two BJP workers, were killed.
- The high court said it “could not shut its eyes to the killing of three persons in the Thar SUV, including the driver, who were killed by the protesters”. Photographs “clearly revealed the brutality of the protesters”, the court said, naming those killed – Hariom Mishra, Shubham Mishra and Shyam Sunder.
- Noting that only four accused had been charged, the court said organisers of the protest must help investigators with giving details of others seen beating up the BJP workers. Bail for Ashish Mishra has sparked strong political reactions with the opposition reviving allegations that the ruling BJP is going all out to protect its own.
- Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra questioned how Ashish Mishra qualified for bail. “3 basic principles of bail are that accused should NOT be able to: 1. Intimidate witnesses 2. Destroy evidence 3. Be flight risk. How does Ashish Mishra satisfy bail condition 1? Sitting minister’s son, arrested only after 3 days, in election season?” Ms Moitra tweeted.
- In the backlash over the Lakhimpur Kheri killings and the alleged delay in investigations, the Supreme Court ordered a special probe. Ashish Mishra’s father Ajay Mishra Teni continues to be a minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government despite calls for his sacking.