'It might take 5 yrs to complete trial', judge tells SC in Lakhimpur Kheri case
Darpan News Desk IANS, 11 Jan, 2023 12:26 PM
New Delhi, Jan 11 (IANS) A trial court in Uttar Pradesh, which is hearing the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case, has informed the Supreme Court that it might take five years to complete the trial in normal course. The cases involve Ashish Mishra as the prime accused, who is son of Union minister Ajay Kumar Mishra.
A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and V. Ramasubramanian noted that the sessions judge says that in normal course, it may take five years. The sessions judge, in a letter sent to the apex court, said there are 208 prosecution witnesses, 171 documents, and 27 forensic science laboratory (FSL) reports in the case.
The top court was hearing a bail plea filed by Ashish Mishra. During the hearing, the top court asked the Uttar Pradesh government counsel to confirm whether four accused in a separate case lodged over the killing of three occupants of the car, which allegedly mowed down farmers, are still in custody. The bench scheduled the matter for further hearing on January 19.
Last month, the apex court had asked the sessions court how much time in normal course would it take to complete the trial in the case.
On October 3, 2021, eight people, including four farmers, were killed in Lakhimpur Kheri in clashes during a farmers' protest. Mishra was arrested in the case.
The family members of the farmers, mowed down by a car belonging to Mishra in Lakhimpur Kheri, have been opposing Mishra's bail plea.
The trial court, last month, had framed charges against Ashish Mishra and 12 others for alleged offences of murder, criminal conspiracy and others in the case.
Arora, who has been elected for the second consecutive time as the MLA from Sunam, expressed gratitude towards the party national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and assured that he would discharge the responsibility assigned to him with honesty and dedication.
The motive behind the murder was not yet clear, according to the police. Police said, the man went to a local market for shopping along with his family. He was shot dead when he was on his way back home.
In his previous marriage to Inderpreet Kaur, which ended in a divorce in 2016, Mann has two children -- son Dilshan and daughter Seerat -- who are currently staying in the US with their mother. Both children had attended Mann's swearing-in ceremony at Khatkar Kalan on March 16.
A spokesman for the Chief Minister's office said all domestic consumers in the state would be eligible to get zero bills if their consumption is up to 600 units in every billing cycle. This will give a big reprieve to the domestic consumers who have to hitherto shell out huge money every month in the form of power tariff.
On receiving information about the incident, SP City Dinesh Kumar Singh, along with police force, reached the spot. The injured youths were sent to the hospital for treatment and the matter is being investigated.
The Chief Minister said the government is fully sensitive towards checking cross-border infiltration in Punjab. He said Punjab Police is constantly in touch with the Border Security Force (BSF) and other agencies for this purpose.
