Ashish Mishra has been charged with murder.
Lucknow:
Ashish Mishra, son of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Mishra, has been booked for the murder of four farmers and a journalist during a protest against the farm laws in Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh last year. A court in Lakhimpur today framed charges against him and others and announced that the trial would begin on December 16. This comes a day after the court dismissed Mishra’s plea.
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Pawan Kashyap, brother of journalist Raman Kashyap, who was injured in the incident, has welcomed the court’s decision. “I am thankful to the judiciary. I want to thank the Supreme Court, there has been a delay, but charges have been framed. I have full faith in the judicial system,” he said.
Mohd Aman, a lawyer representing those killed in the incident, said, “The trial has been delayed, it took 9 months to frame the charges and that too after the Supreme Court commented on it. Farmers expect justice.” I think the trial should be quick.”
Mishra has been similarly charged with murder in the police charter. It is alleged that he was among a cent that was thrown over four farmers and a journalist during a protest march at Lakhimpur Kheri on 3 October. Stunning visuals of the incident showed the speeding car hitting the protesting farmers. Angry farmers chased the suspect and allegedly lynched the driver and two BJP candidates.
The incident opened up layers of accusation against the BJP and the government was leveled at Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra. A speech by the Union minister preceded the incident, in which he allegedly threatened to “fix the farmers in two minutes” if they did not call off the agitation. So after the murders many people demanded their partnerships.
He was arrested a few days after the death of the farmers following the intervention of the Supreme Court. The Allahabad High Court had granted him bail in February, questioning the police probe.
On April 18 this year, the Supreme Court canceled the bail of Ashish Mishra and asked him to surrender within a week. The court observed that there was a deviation from a “fair and effective trial” in the Allahabad High Court, and said that the High Court took a “distant view of the evidence”.
In the petition filed at Lakhimpur judicial tribunals, Ashish Mishra and other accused had argued that they have been falsely accused. The court dismissed the petition of all claims.
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