The Lakhimpur Kheri incident of last October, in which eight persons including four farmers were killed, might not have taken place had Union Minister Ajay Mishra Teni not made utterances threatening local farmers with expulsion, the Allahabad High Court has said.
The court made the observation while rejecting the bail pleas of four co-accused of prime accused Ashish Mishra, the Minister’s son, in the killing of four farmers and one journalist on October 3, 2021 in Tikonia. The court said there was “overwhelming evidence” against each of the four accused Sumit Jaiswal, Ankit Das, Shishpal and Lavkush.
While rejecting the bail application of Ankit Das, the grandson of former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Babu Banarasi Das, Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh observed, “Political persons holding high offices, should make public utterances in a decent language considering repercussions in society. They should not make irresponsible statements as they are required to conduct themselves befitting their status and dignity of high office which they hold.”
