Supreme Court on Monday set aside the Allahabad High Court order which granted bail to Ashish Mishra, the main accused in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case, and ordered him to surrender within a week.

On October 3, 2021, eight people were killed in Lakhimpur Kheri during violence that had erupted when farmers were protesting against Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya’s visit to the area.

Of them, four were farmers, who were mowed down by an SUV in which Ashish Mishra was seated, according to the Uttar Pradesh Police FIR. Ashish Mishra is the son of Union minister Ajay Mishra.

Also Read: Storms kill 20 in Assam, over 200 houses damaged in Mizoram

Following the incident, the driver and two BJP workers were allegedly lynched by angry farmers.

A journalist also died in the violence. This triggered an outrage among opposition parties and farmer groups that were agitating over the Centre’s now-repealed agricultural reform laws.

Also Read: Sri Lanka asked to take a call on hosting Asia Cup 2022 by July 27: Report

Ashish Mishra was arrested on October 9 and booked under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). 

“Ashish Mishra has been arrested as he was not cooperating during the interrogation and did not answer a few questions,” SIT DIG Upendra Agarwal had said at the time of Mishra’s arrest.

Also Read: Textile orders from Sri Lanka diverting to India amid economic crisis

In February, Allahabad High Court granted bail to Ashish Mishra in the case. On April 4, the Supreme Court had reserved its order on a plea of farmers seeking cancellation of bail to the accused. 

On Monday, a special bench of Chief Justice N V Ramana and Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli cancelled his bail and also asked him to surrender in a week’s time.