Lakhimpur Kheri violence case | Trial not 'slow paced', says Supreme Court, asks sessions court to apprise it of future developments
The Hindu
Supreme Court observed, though it is not monitoring the trial in Lakhimpur Kheri violence case, it is having an “indirect supervision” on it
The Supreme Court on March 14 said the trial in the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence case, in which Union Minister Ajay Kumar Mishra’s son Ashish Mishra is among those facing prosecution, is not “slow paced” and directed the concerned sessions judge to keep apprising it about the future developments of the trial.
The top court observed, though it is not monitoring the trial, it is having an “indirect supervision” on it.
A Bench of Justices Surya Kant and J.K. Maheshwari said the interim direction contained in its January 25 order, by which it had granted eight-week interim bail to Mr. Ashish Mishra in the case, shall continue to operate.
Also read: Lakhimpur Kheri violence | Trial will take at least five years to complete, says sessions judge tells Supreme Court
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the victim families, told the Bench that about 200 prosecution witnesses have to be examined and he is concerned about the “slow pace of the trial”.
“The trial is not slow paced. We have received three letters from the trial judge,” the Bench observed, adding it had gone through the contents of the letters received from the First Additional District and Sessions Judge, Lakhimpur Kheri.
The top court said as per the letters, examination of three witnesses is over while cross-examination of one of them is going on.