A Supreme Court Bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V. Mohana dismissed Ashish Mishra's plea on August 6, 2026.
Ashish Mishra, the prime accused in the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence, had sought relaxation of his bail conditions to visit his native place for family functions.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the victim farmers, raised concerns over the haste of the trial and the dropping of crucial eyewitnesses.
The Supreme Court on August 6, 2026 dismissed an application by Ashish Mishra seeking further relaxation of his bail conditions. Mishra is the prime accused in the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence case.
Mishra sought permission to visit his native place to attend family functions. His counsel argued that existing restrictions prevent him from attending events, including his daughters' birthday celebrations.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohana dismissed the plea.
"There is no ground to entertain this prayer at this stage. The application is dismissed," Chief Justice Kant said.
Concerns Over Trial Haste
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the victim farmers, expressed concern over the trial's conduct. He alleged that the court was dropping several crucial witnesses, including eyewitnesses, because of the speed of the proceedings.
"One of the problems is the manner in which the trial is proceeding. Many of the critical witnesses have been given up because of the speed and haste with which the trial is being conducted. They are summoned for the very next day, and if they do not appear the next day, they are given up," Bhushan said.
Bhushan said he intended to file an application highlighting these concerns. He also referred to a separate case where an individual had been charge-sheeted for allegedly attempting to influence a witness.
The witness, who was allegedly intimidated, was subsequently dropped from the list and has now applied to participate in the trial. Mishra's counsel objected to the submission that the charge-sheeted individual was Mishra's supporter.
Trial Court Appropriate Forum
The Supreme Court directed Bhushan to raise these witness-related grievances before the trial court first.
"Why would we be the appropriate forum to entertain such an application? You should first approach the trial court itself and point out that these are the witnesses who are crucial," the Bench stated.
The Bench reiterated that the trial court is the appropriate forum to decide whether the witnesses are material. "The trial court is the best forum to determine whether these witnesses are crucial. You may explain why those witnesses are important and what issues they relate to," the Bench stated.
When Bhushan pointed out that some of them were eyewitnesses, Chief Justice Kant said this made it all the more necessary to approach the trial court.
The Lakhimpur Kheri Violence
On October 3, 2021, eight people, including four farmers, were killed in Tikunia in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri district. The violence erupted during a protest by farmers against Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya's visit to the area.
In a shocking incident a sports utility vehicle, reportedly linked to Mishra, mowed down four farmers and a journalist. Angry farmers then allegedly lynched a driver and two BJP workers.
In December 2023, the trial court framed charges against Mishra and 12 others, including charges of murder and criminal conspiracy, paving the way for the trial.
