Supreme Court Allows Ashish Mishra Diwali Leave; Orders DSP Probe Into Witness Threat Allegations

For weeks, Ashish Mishra’s legal battles have kept him away from home. But this Diwali, the Supreme Court has given him a brief window of freedom.

With the permission of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, he can return home, albeit under court-imposed conditions.

According to the court’s order, Ashish Mishra may go home on October 20 and must return by October 22.

The court directed a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) to investigate the allegations of witness intimidation and influence.

The Uttar Pradesh government’s counsel told the Supreme Court that investigators found evidence of witness coercion and registered an FIR.

The bench recommended that a DSP-level officer continue the investigation for procedural consistency.

During a prior hearing, learned counsel Prashant Bhushan, representing the complainant, submitted that repeated representations regarding witness intimidation had yielded no action from the authorities.

He cited the Lalita Kumari vs Government of Uttar Pradesh judgment.

Later, Bhushan stressed that authorities must register an FIR within seven days of receiving a complaint.

In this case, they failed to file one even after one and a half months.

Previously, the court had reminded Mishra’s counsel that all bail conditions must be strictly followed.

Bhushan, representing the victims, also pointed out that although the Supreme Court had granted bail on July 22 with specific conditions allowing Mishra to visit the trial venue only a day before hearings.

He violated the terms by visiting Lakhimpur Kheri on October 1, addressing a large public rally, despite October 2 being a national holiday and courts being closed the following day.

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