New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notice to Ashish Mishra, the main accused in the violence at Lakhimpur Kheri, and the Uttar Pradesh government after hearing a petition seeking cancellation of his bail granted by the Allahabad High Court. The court took serious note of the attack on one of the witnesses to the Lakhimpur incident and told the Uttar Pradesh government that it has to take adequate steps to protect the witnesses. The apex court also sought a response from Uttar Pradesh on a petition by the victims’ families to cancel the bail given to Ashish Misra, son of a Union Minister. A Supreme Court Bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana asked the Uttar Pradesh government to file a detailed affidavit narrating the steps taken to protect the witnesses and also explain why the bail given to Ashish Mishra should not be cancelled. It fixed the next hearing for March 24. Advocate Prashant Bhushan, on behalf of the family members of those crushed by a vehicle in Lakhimpur Kheri, told the court that the main witness was “brutally” attacked and threatened that he would be taken care of as the Bharatiya Janata Party had won the Assembly polls in the state. The family members of the deceased farmers moved the Supreme Court on February 21 challenging the bail granted to Mishra. Bhushan said the family members have been forced to approach the top court as Uttar Pradesh has failed to file the appeal against the Allahabad High Court. UNI SM MR
