NEW DELHI: A High Court judge has recused from hearing Ashish Mishra’s bail plea in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case. Justice Rajeev Singh of the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has recused himself from hearing the plea. He had granted bail to Ashish Mishra earlier.

Ashish Mishra is the main accused in the Lakhimpur Kheri case for allegedly running a vehicle over the farmers, protesting against the central government’s farm laws, in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri region. Meantime, Justice Rajeev Singh has not clarified the reason for his recusal. Now, the bail plea can be heard only after the formation of a new bench.

Recently, a Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice N V Ramana had cancelled Mishra’s bail order. Following which, the court had ordered him to surrender within a week. The court also pointed out that the victims were denied a fair and effective hearing by the Allahabad High Court, which adopted a myopic view of the evidence.

Senior advocate Dushyant Dave, appearing for the farmers, had asked the Supreme Court to change the hearing bench when the case goes to the high court again. However, Justice N V Ramana said that the order did not have to state that the case would be transferred to another bench. It would be up to the High Court to decide on the matter, he added.