On 3 October 2021, at Tikunia in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri district, vehicles linked to Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra Teni drove into farmers protesting the Centre's farm laws. Eight people died: four farmers and a journalist who were run over, and two BJP workers and a driver who were killed in the violence that followed. The minister's son Ashish Mishra was arrested six days later, charged with murder and conspiracy, and has been on bail since January 2023 while a Supreme Court-monitored trial continues.
Key takeaways
- On 3 October 2021 at Tikunia, Lakhimpur Kheri, SUVs in a convoy linked to Union minister Ajay Mishra Teni ran into farmers who had protested a visit by Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, and eight people died.
- Ajay Mishra Teni denied his son Ashish was at the scene and blamed protesters for the deaths; farmers and eyewitnesses said Ashish was in the convoy.
- Ashish Mishra's bail from the Allahabad High Court was cancelled by the Supreme Court in April 2022; the Supreme Court granted him interim bail in January 2023 and made it regular bail in July 2024.
- The Centre did not remove Ajay Mishra Teni despite farmers' and opposition demands; he lost the Kheri Lok Sabha seat in June 2024.
Background: the farm laws protest and the minister's speech
Three farm laws passed in September 2020 set off protests by farmers from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. In January 2021 the Supreme Court suspended their implementation, but the protests continued Scroll. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of farm unions, led the agitation from sit-ins on Delhi's borders that began on 26 November 2020 Down To Earth.
Ajay Mishra Teni was the BJP Lok Sabha member for Kheri and Union Minister of State for Home Affairs. A few days before 3 October, after farmers showed him black flags at an event in Palia, he told them in a speech: "Sudhar jao, nahi toh hum aapko sudhaar denge, do minute lagega keval" ("Mend your ways, or we will teach you a lesson; it will only take two minutes") The Caravan. Deccan Herald reported that the 3 October protest was held against those remarks Deccan Herald.
What happened at Tikunia
Farmers gathered at Tikunia and marched with black flags to the helipad where Maurya's helicopter was to land, when Teni and Maurya were due at an event, according to protester Richa Singh. She said Maurya's route was changed and that by about 2.15 pm the farmers who had come from far away had begun to leave The Caravan.
As the farmers were walking back, vehicles with BJP flags arrived and ran into protesters on the side of the road, Richa Singh told The Caravan. Angry farmers then surrounded the vehicles and set two of them on fire The Caravan. The SIT later alleged that Ashish Mishra was in the front left seat of a Mahindra Thar, the first of three SUVs The Tribune.
The farmers killed were Nakshattar Singh (60), Lovepreet Singh (20), Gurvinder Singh (19) and Daljit Singh (35) The Caravan. Raman Kashyap, a reporter with a private TV channel, died of his injuries the next day; his father said he was hit by a vehicle. BJP workers Shyam Sundar and Shubham Mishra and Teni's driver Hariom Mishra also died PTI via The Tribune. In November 2021 the Supreme Court said that although Kashyap was shown as beaten to death, it was clear he had been mowed down by the convoy Newslaundry.
Police registered two FIRs: one on the farmers' complaint over the killing of the protesters and the journalist, and one over the killing of the BJP workers and driver Newslaundry. Internet services in Lakhimpur were shut that evening, and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was reportedly detained early on 4 October before she could reach the district The Caravan.
Both accounts
Farmers' account
Protesters said Ashish Mishra arrived with 10 to 15 men in vehicles bearing BJP flags and drove them into young protesters who were walking away. "In a planned manner, these cars trampled protesters who were just protesting peacefully with flags," said Richa Singh. Another eyewitness, Kranti Singh, said men in the convoy also fired shots Claim · eyewitnesses; police denied that protesters were fired at The Caravan.
Minister's and defence account
Ajay Mishra Teni said his son was not at the scene and that protesters threw stones at the convoy, causing the vehicles to go out of control. "If my son would have been there, he would not have come out alive," he said The Caravan. He told The Indian Express that the four other dead were "attacked by assailants armed with swords and sticks who were among the farmers" Scroll. In court in 2023, Ashish Mishra's lawyer Mukul Rohatgi raised an alibi based on mobile tower records and called the incident a "fracas" in which the driver lost control after farmers attacked the vehicle Claim · defence LiveLaw.
The investigation took a position on this dispute. The court-monitored SIT's charge sheet named Ashish Mishra as the key accused and said he was present at the scene Documented Deccan Herald. Guilt is for the trial court to decide.
Timeline
Convoy hits protesters
Eight people die at Tikunia The Caravan.
Settlement with farmers
Uttar Pradesh announces Rs 45 lakh and a government job for each dead farmer's family, Rs 10 lakh for the injured, and a probe by a retired High Court judge. Farmers, with BKU leader Rakesh Tikait present, agree to cremate the bodies Scroll PTI via The Tribune Onmanorama.
Supreme Court steps in
The court takes up the case after a letter from two lawyers. On 8 October CJI N.V. Ramana's bench says it is not satisfied with the state's steps and asks why the main accused has not been arrested ETV Bharat Bar and Bench.
Ashish Mishra arrested
He is arrested after about 12 hours of questioning Bar and Bench.
Charge sheet filed
A 5,000-page charge sheet names 17 people, with Ashish Mishra as the key accused, and lists 208 witnesses Deccan Herald.
Bail granted, then cancelled
The Allahabad High Court grants bail; he leaves jail on 15 February. On 18 April the Supreme Court cancels the bail BOOM.
Charges framed
The trial court frames charges against Ashish Mishra and 12 others for murder, conspiracy and other offences; a 14th accused is charged with destroying evidence The Tribune.
Bail made regular
The Supreme Court makes the bail absolute, lets him live in Delhi or Lucknow, and orders the trial expedited LiveLaw.
The SIT and Supreme Court monitoring
Uttar Pradesh first set up a police team under DIG Upendra Agrawal and a one-member inquiry by retired judge Pradeep Kumar Srivastava ETV Bharat Scroll. "Somehow, we are not confident of state judicial committee overseeing," Justice Surya Kant said on 8 November 2021 Scroll.
On 17 November 2021 the court put the SIT under Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain and added IPS officers S.B. Shirodkar, Deepinder Singh and Padmaja Chauhan Scroll. In December the SIT's investigating officer, Vidyaram Diwakar, told the court that the evidence pointed to a "pre-planned conspiracy" and not negligence The Quint. On 14 December the magistrate dropped the rash driving and negligence charges and added attempt to murder and Arms Act charges, keeping murder and conspiracy. "It wasn't an accident, but a deliberate attempt with an intention to kill," senior public prosecutor S.P. Yadav told The Tribune The Tribune.
On 18 September 2023 the Supreme Court relieved the SIT, saying its probe was complete and the charge sheet filed, and that it could be reconstituted if needed PTI via Outlook.
Ashish Mishra's bail history
The Allahabad High Court granted bail on 10 February 2022. The Uttar Pradesh government did not appeal, although the SIT wrote to it twice recommending that it oppose the bail BOOM. On an appeal by the victims' families, a bench of CJI Ramana and Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli cancelled the bail on 18 April 2022. It said the High Court showed "tearing hurry", considered irrelevant factors and denied the victims a proper hearing The Tribune. The High Court rejected bail again on 26 July 2022 LiveLaw.
On 25 January 2023 the Supreme Court granted him interim bail on strict terms: he could not stay in Uttar Pradesh or Delhi, had to surrender his passport, and any attempt to influence witnesses would cancel the bail. The court also bailed four men accused in the counter-case over the killing of the convoy occupants. The state had opposed Mishra's bail, calling the crime "grave and heinous" LiveLaw. On 22 July 2024 the bail was made regular. When his lawyer argued that his father was no longer a minister, Justice Surya Kant replied that one can be influential without being a minister LiveLaw.
Since then the court has allowed limited visits home: weekend visits from May 2025, Diwali in October 2025 and a week in December 2025, each barring any political or public activity Scroll. On 6 August 2026 it refused further relaxation: "There is no ground to entertain this prayer at this stage" ETV Bharat.
The trial and witness concerns
In January 2023 the trial judge told the Supreme Court the case involved 208 witnesses, 171 documents and 27 forensic reports and could take about five years Scroll. Seven of 117 listed witnesses had been examined by July 2024 LiveLaw. By December 2025, 36 had been examined, 85 were pending and 10 had been exempted, and Uttar Pradesh said 789 trials were pending before the same judge Scroll. On 8 May 2026 the court noted no witness had been examined for about two months and told the judge to secure their presence Deccan Herald.
Witness safety has been raised throughout. In January 2023 the victims' lawyer Prashant Bhushan told the court that a witness's brother had allegedly been attacked and a BKU leader shot at Scroll. In 2025 witness Baljinder Singh complained that he was offered Rs 1 lakh and threatened not to testify. After the Supreme Court criticised police inaction, an FIR was filed on 4 October 2025 naming Ajay Mishra, Ashish Mishra and two others Scroll. On 16 July 2026 police told the court they found no evidence against the Mishras and charge-sheeted only one man, Amandeep Singh Police position LiveLaw. In August 2026 Bhushan said crucial eyewitnesses were being dropped because of the "speed and haste" of the trial; the court told him to raise it before the trial court Outlook.
The demand for the minister's removal
On the day of the violence the SKM called the attack "brutal and inhuman" and demanded Teni's dismissal and murder charges against him and his son The Caravan. After the SIT's "pre-planned" finding, Rahul Gandhi said: "Modi ji, it's time to apologise again, but first remove the accused's father from the minister's post" The Tribune. On 15 December 2021 Teni was filmed calling reporters "chor" (thieves) when asked about the case PTI via The Tribune.
The SKM suspended its Delhi sit-ins on 9 December 2021 after the farm laws were repealed Down To Earth, but the Teni demand stayed. In August 2022 it held a 75-hour dharna in Lakhimpur Kheri for Teni's sacking and the release of four farmers jailed in the counter-case, after the district magistrate refused permission The Quint.
The government's position
The Centre did not drop Teni, and he stayed Minister of State for Home until the 2024 election Government's position Deccan Herald Deccan Herald. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said "the guilty in the violence won't be spared" and accused the opposition of playing politics ETV Bharat. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman called the violence "absolutely condemnable" but said the case was being singled out because the BJP ruled Uttar Pradesh The Tribune (editorial).
In court, the state told the Supreme Court in 2022 that it had "vehemently opposed" Ashish Mishra's bail in the High Court, though it had not appealed The Tribune. In June 2024 Teni lost Kheri to the Samajwadi Party's Utkarsh Verma by over 30,000 votes Deccan Herald.
Outcome
- Deaths: 8. Some legal reports count five killings in the main case (four farmers and the journalist) and three in the counter-case.
- Arrests: 14 of the 17 people named in the charge sheet were in jail by January 2022 Deccan Herald.
- Compensation: Rs 45 lakh and a government job per dead farmer's family; Rs 10 lakh per injured person.
- Charges: Murder, attempt to murder, conspiracy, rioting and Arms Act offences, framed on 6 Dec 2022.
Where things stand
As of October 2026 the trial in both FIRs is still under way before a court in Uttar Pradesh, with no verdict Deccan Herald. Ashish Mishra remains on bail, barred from political events and allowed into Lakhimpur Kheri only on the visits the court permits. In July 2026 his lawyer said the trial would end within three months Scroll.
Questions people ask
Is Ashish Mishra in jail?
No. The Supreme Court granted him interim bail in January 2023 and made it regular in July 2024. He may live only in Delhi or Lucknow and needs court permission to visit Lakhimpur Kheri.
Was Ajay Mishra Teni removed as minister?
No. The Centre kept him as Minister of State for Home despite farmers' and opposition demands. He lost the Kheri Lok Sabha seat in June 2024.
Has the Lakhimpur Kheri trial ended?
No. Charges were framed in December 2022. By December 2025, 36 witnesses had been examined and 85 remained, and the Supreme Court is still monitoring the trial's pace in 2026.
Sources
- The Caravan: Eight killed in UP after convoy linked to union minister runs over farmer protesters, 3 Oct 2021
- Scroll: Uttar Pradesh announces probe by ex-judge, compensation for victims' kin, 4 Oct 2021
- Onmanorama: Agreement reached between farmers and administration, Oct 2021
- PTI via The Tribune: Local journalist among 8 killed in Lakhimpur Kheri violence, 5 Oct 2021
- ETV Bharat: Supreme Court says onus on UP govt to take actions, 8 Oct 2021
- Bar and Bench: UP court denies bail to main accused Ashish Mishra, 13 Oct 2021
- Scroll: Former judge Rakesh Kumar Jain to monitor inquiry, 17 Nov 2021
- Newslaundry: Court rejects plea for separate FIR in journalist's death, 8 Dec 2021
- Down To Earth: Samyukt Kisan Morcha suspends farm protests, 9 Dec 2021
- The Quint: SIT seeks attempt to murder charge against Lakhimpur accused, 14 Dec 2021
- The Tribune: Oppn wants MoS Ajay Mishra sacked as SIT says violence pre-planned, 15 Dec 2021
- PTI via The Tribune: Ajay Mishra Teni abuses journalists, 15 Dec 2021
- The Tribune editorial: Minister must go, 16 Dec 2021
- Deccan Herald: SIT files 5,000-page charge sheet, Ashish Mishra prime accused, 3 Jan 2022
- BOOM: Allahabad HC showed "tearing hurry", SC cancels Ashish Mishra's bail, 18 Apr 2022
- The Tribune: Supreme Court cancels Ashish Mishra's bail, 18 Apr 2022
- The Quint: SKM begins dharna in Lakhimpur Kheri, demands sacking of Ajay Mishra, 18 Aug 2022
- LiveLaw: Trial court rejects Ashish Mishra's discharge plea, 5 Dec 2022
- Scroll: Trial may take about five years, judge tells SC, 11 Jan 2023
- LiveLaw: Supreme Court grants interim bail to Ashish Mishra for 8 weeks, 25 Jan 2023
- PTI via Outlook: Supreme Court relieves SIT in Lakhimpur Kheri violence case, 18 Sept 2023
- Deccan Herald: The giant slayers of Uttar Pradesh, 4 June 2024
- LiveLaw: Supreme Court grants bail to Ashish Mishra, permits him to stay in Lucknow, 22 July 2024
- Scroll: FIR filed for witness intimidation, UP Police tells SC, 9 Oct 2025
- The Tribune: SC allows Ashish Mishra to visit hometown on Diwali, 10 Oct 2025
- Scroll: SC allows Ashish Mishra to visit Lakhimpur Kheri for a week, 11 Dec 2025
- Deccan Herald: SC raps UP over delay in witnesses, 8 May 2026
- LiveLaw: Ashish Mishra and Ajay Mishra not involved in witness intimidation, UP Police tells SC, 16 July 2026
- Scroll: Police claim Ashish Mishra, father not involved in threatening witnesses, 16 July 2026
- ETV Bharat: Supreme Court refuses to further relax Ashish Mishra's bail conditions, 6 Aug 2026
- Outlook: Supreme Court rejects Ashish Mishra's bail relaxation plea, 6 Aug 2026