Lakhimpur Kheri violence: SC issues notice to UP Govt on Ashish Mishra's plea seeking bail
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought a response from the Uttar Pradesh government on a plea filed by Ashish Mishra, son of Union Minister Ajay Mishra, seeking bail in a case related to Lakhimpur Kheri violence in which eight persons had died.
The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court had on July 26 rejected the bail plea of Mishra.
His plea challenging the high court order came up for hearing before a bench of Justices Indira Banerjee and M M Sundresh.
"We are issuing notice," the bench said and posted the matter for hearing on September 26.
On October 3 last year, eight people were killed in Lakhimpur Kheri during violence that erupted when farmers were protesting against Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya's visit to the area.
Four farmers were mowed down by an SUV, in which Ashish Mishra was seated, according to the UP Police FIR.
Following the incident, the driver and two BJP workers were allegedly lynched by angry farmers.
A journalist also died in the violence that triggered outrage among opposition parties and farmer groups agitating over the Centre's now-repealed agricultural reform laws.
During the hearing before the apex court, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Mishra, referred to the incident and said the man who had lodged one of the FIRs in the matter had said that the accused was sitting in the vehicle and he was not driving it.
He said that driver of the car was physically pulled out of the vehicle and was assaulted along with two others and they died.
"The man who lodged that report saying that I (Mishra) was in the car and I ran away shooting in the air etc. ultimately said that he was not an eye-witness," Rohatgi said.
He told the bench that Mishra was earlier granted bail in the case as there was no direct allegation that he drove the car and mowed down people.
The senior advocate said that later, the complainant side had come to the apex court and the bail granted to Mishra was cancelled.
On April 18 this year, the top court cancelled the bail granted to Mishra in the case and asked him to surrender in a week, saying the 'victims' were denied "a fair and effective hearing" in the Allahabad High Court which adopted a "myopic view of the evidence".
It had remanded the bail application for fresh adjudication "in a fair, impartial and dispassionate manner, and keeping in view the settled parameters" within three months after taking note of relevant facts and the fact that the victims were not granted a complete opportunity of being heard.
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Bihar: Over 150 children fall ill after consuming 'mid-day meal' in Saharsa
Saharsa (PTI): More than 150 children were taken ill after allegedly consuming food that was part of the mid-day meal in a school in Bihar’s Saharsa district, a senior official said on Thursday.
The incident occurred at a middle school in Baluaha village of the district.
The official said that 115 children were undergoing treatment at the Sadar Hospital, while around 50 students were admitted to Mahishi Public Health Centre.
“We received information that several children fell ill after consuming the mid-day meal in Baluaha. The children were initially treated at the primary health centre, but later, many were referred to the Sadar Hospital,” Saharsa District Magistrate Deepesh Kumar told reporters.
“According to doctors, the health condition of the children has improved, but they will be kept under observation for some time. There is no need to panic. Some kids are having mild fever. They are being treated accordingly,” Kumar said.
Meanwhile, family members of some children claimed that a snake was found in the container in which cooked pulses was stored at the school.
Of the 545 students present in the school, 200 had already eaten their meals by the time the snake was spotted, and later complained of stomach ache and vomiting, they said.
Regarding the claims, the DM said food samples have been collected from the school.
“We will be able to comment on this only after the results of the tested samples arrive,” he said.
