Delhi, 11 December (H.S.): The Supreme Court on Thursday permitted Ashish Mishra, son of former Union Minister Ajay Mishra and an accused in the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence case, to travel to his hometown between December 25 and December 31, 2025, to be with his daughter ahead of her Class 12 board examinations.

The bench, comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, considered the request filed through senior advocate Siddharth Dave, who sought permission for Mishra to spend time with his family. The court granted the plea while reiterating that all prior bail conditions, including prohibition on political activity, would continue to apply.

During the hearing, the CJI noted the status of the ongoing trial against Mishra and others, stating that 36 witnesses have been examined while 85 remain to be examined in one FIR, and 35 witnesses are yet to be examined in the other. The Uttar Pradesh Additional Advocate General highlighted that 789 trials are pending before the same judge overseeing the case.

The bench observed that special courts are overburdened and said the issues would be addressed comprehensively in March 2026.

Earlier, in October 2025, the apex court had allowed Mishra to travel to Lakhimpur Kheri to celebrate Diwali with his family under strict bail conditions. Mishra was granted bail in July 2024, with restrictions on his movements in Delhi and Lucknow.

The Lakhimpur Kheri case stems from the October 2021 violence in Tikunia, where eight people, including four farmers, were killed during a protest against Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya’s visit. Four farmers were run over by a sports utility vehicle during the incident.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar