Lucknow: A Court in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri district on Tuesday framed murder charges against Ashish Mishra, son of Union Minister Ajay Mishra, and 13 others in connection with the killing of four farmers during a protest rally, reported Live Law
After rejecting Mishra's discharge plea on Monday, the Additional District Judge Sunil Kumar Verma framed charges. The trial in the case will begin on December 16.
The case relates to the incident that took place on October 3, 2021. While farmers were holding protests against the visit of Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya to Lakhimpur Kheri district, four of the agitators were killed after they were allegedly mowed down by an SUV that was part of Ashish Mishra's convoy.
Thirteen accused, including Mishra, shall face charges under sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting armed with deadly weapons), 149 (offence committed in prosecution of common object), 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons), 427 (mischief causing damage), 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC and Section 177 of the Motor Vehicles Act.
Mishra was arrested on October 9, 2021, and the chargesheet was filed in January 2022.
The Allahabad High Court granted bail to Mishra on February 10, but it was set aside by the Supreme Court in April 2022 after noting that the High Court had ignored relevant facts.
The Supreme Court's order came in an appeal filed by the relatives of the farmers who were killed in the crime.
The bail application was then remanded to the High Court. On July 26, the High Court dismissed the bail application after re-hearing the matter, following the remand by the Supreme Court.