Lakhimpur violence: Court rejects discharge pleas of Ashish, others

LAKHIMPUR KHERI: A local court has dismissed the discharge applications of 13 accused in the 2021 Lakhimpur violence case, including that of Ashish Mishra, son of Union Minister of State (Home) Ajay Kumar Mishra 'Teni'.

The court of additional district judge I Sunil Kumar Verma has fixed December 6 as the date for framing the charges against the accused in the October 3 violence last year, the government's counsel Arvind Tripathi said.

After the hearing of their applications, the court rejected the pleas of all 13 accused.

Ashish is the main accused in the incident wherein a vehicle belonging to the Union minister allegedly mowed down four farmers during a protest against the now-repealed agricultural laws. Two BJP workers and a driver were beaten to death, while a local journalist was killed in the violence that ensued.

Farmers maintain that Ashish was in the lead car that ran over people. The minister and his son have denied the latter's alleged involvement.