The Supreme Court has instructed the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court to take swift action regarding allegations leveled against the presiding officer handling the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence case. The allegations suggest that the judge transferred several cases to himself and subsequently acquitted accused individuals.
Information was available with The Chenab Times that a Bench, comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana, also urged the Uttar Pradesh government to expedite the appointment of a new public prosecutor for the trial of this high-profile case.
Previously, on September 22, the apex court had taken cognizance of submissions made by lawyer Prashant Bhushan, representing the victims. Bhushan had contended that the conduct of the presiding officer in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case was questionable due to the alleged self-transfer of criminal cases and subsequent acquittals.
At that time, the Bench had directed the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court to submit a report in a sealed cover after thoroughly investigating the matter and initiating remedial measures.
On Monday, the Bench acknowledged the arguments presented by senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, who was appearing for the high court registry. Dwivedi indicated that an administrative committee would need to be formed to examine the allegations against the judge.
The Supreme Court reiterated its directive, stating, “The chief justice of the high court should take an appropriate action as per para three of our order dated September 22, 2026.”
In its previous order, the apex court had mandated, “The Registrar (Vigilance) of the High Court shall forward a report to this Court in a sealed cover, indicating the action that may be taken by the Hon’ble Chief Justice of the High Court.”
Senior advocate Siddharth Dave, representing accused Ashish Mishra, who had petitioned the top court seeking bail, commented that the lawyer Prashant Bhushan appeared to have grievances against all parties involved in the case, including the trial judge, the public prosecutor, and the accused.
Dave further noted that the judge had already examined 86 out of the total 130-plus witnesses in the main case.
The Bench clarified that it was not making any pronouncements on the allegations or counter-allegations at this stage and scheduled the next hearing for the bail plea after a fortnight.
Earlier, Bhushan had raised concerns that the presiding officer had issued a non-bailable warrant against his client, allegedly because of the client’s inability to appear in court for deposition due to illness.
Bhushan contended, “The conduct of the presiding officer will shock the conscience of the court. The presiding officer withdrew to himself NDPS, SC/ST cases and granted the accused bail or acquitted them. Under the law, he cannot withdraw to himself.”
He also claimed that the public prosecutor had been replaced mid-trial, and the new prosecutor possessed only four months of experience.
This development follows the Supreme Court’s refusal on August 6 to further relax the bail conditions for Ashish Mishra, who is considered the prime accused in the case.
The Lakhimpur Kheri incident occurred on October 3, 2021, in Tikunia, Uttar Pradesh. Eight individuals, including four farmers, lost their lives during a protest against the visit of Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya.
In the violence, four farmers were reportedly run over by an SUV. Subsequently, an angry mob of farmers allegedly lynched the driver and two BJP workers. A journalist also died in the ensuing chaos.
In December 2023, the trial court formally framed charges against Ashish Mishra and 12 other individuals, including charges of murder and criminal conspiracy, setting the stage for the commencement of the trial in the primary case.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
