The Supreme Court acknowledged a status report from the Uttar Pradesh Police stating that no evidence was found against former Union Minister Ajay Mishra and his son Ashish Mishra in the alleged witness intimidation case related to the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence. The police informed the court that only one accused, Amandeep Singh, had been charged in the case, and the investigation did not implicate Ashish Mishra, Ajay Mishra, or others.
The court accepted the contents of the status report and granted the complainant two weeks to file an additional affidavit in response to the police findings. Senior advocate Siddharth Dave, representing Ashish Mishra, noted that he was not even named in the chargesheet and expected the trial to conclude within three months. The witness intimidation case stemmed from a complaint by Baljinder Singh, a prosecution witness in the main violence trial, who alleged attempts to deter him from testifying.
The status report also revealed that 64 prosecution witnesses are yet to be examined in the main Lakhimpur Kheri violence trial. The Supreme Court had previously directed the investigating officer to complete the remaining probe in the witness intimidation case and submit the final report within four weeks. The court had emphasized expediting the trials and ensuring witness protection in light of concerns over the slow pace of proceedings.
