Lucknow, Nov 12 (PTI) The Allahabad High Court on Tuesday granted regular bail to 12 accused in the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence which claimed at least eight lives, and in which former Union minister Ajay Mishra Teni's son Ashish is the main accused.

While approving the release of the accused on bail on Tuesday, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court asked them to cooperate in the trial or their bail would be revoked.

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Prime accused Ashish Mishra was already granted regular bail by the Supreme Court in the case earlier this year.

The Allahabad HC bench that granted the bail to the 12 co-accused was presided over by Justice Krishna Pahal.

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It approved separate bail petitions filed by Ankit Das, Nandan Singh Bisht, Latif alias Kale, Satyam Tripathi alias Satya Prakash Tripathi, Shekhar Bharti, Dharmendra Singh Banjara, Ashish Pandey, Rinku Rana, Ullas Kumar Trivedi alias Mohit Trivedi, Lavkush, Sumit Jaiswal and Shishupal.

The court had reserved its decision on October 18 after hearing the case in full and pronounced it on Tuesday via video conferencing from the Court.

In the court, the defense counsel argued that the case involves 114 witnesses, yet only seven have testified so far. It also argued the Supreme Court has already granted regular bail to prime accused Ashish Mishra.

The state government and the complainant's counsel opposed the bail petitions. After considering arguments from both sides, the court noted that completing the trial might take time, and with the prime accused now out on bail and no complaints filed against the other accused during their interim release, the petitions for regular bail were granted.

On October 3, 2021, eight people were killed in Lakhimpur Kheri district's Tikunia where violence erupted when farmers were protesting against the then deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya's visit to the area.

According to the Uttar Pradesh Police FIR in the case, four farmers were mowed down by an SUV in which Ashish was seated.

Following the incident, the driver of the SUV and two BJP workers were allegedly lynched by angry farmers. A journalist also died in the violence.

In its order, the apex court said Ashish shall surrender his passport to the trial court within one week of his release on interim bail and not enter Uttar Pradesh except to attend the trial proceedings.

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