LUCKNOW The ongoing trial in the October 3, 2021, Lakhimpur Kheri violence case — in which Ashish Mishra, son of former Union minister of state for home Ajay Mishra ‘Teni’, is the prime accused — is set for a course correction after the state government appointed a new public prosecutor.
The state government has appointed advocate Kapil Katiyar, who is also a government advocate, as special public prosecutor to represent the state in court, replacing public prosecutor Prabhakar Brahm Mishra, who was holding charge of additional district government counsel (ADGC). In another major change, Allahabad high court has appointed Lokesh Rai as new district and sessions judge, Lakhimpur Kheri, replacing Shiv Kumar Singh. The bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana passed orders on an application moved by victims’ families through senior advocate Prashant Bhushan. Following arguments in court, the apex court had sought a report from the chief justice of Allahabad high court on allegations against the trial judge and directed the UP government to replace the public prosecutor with a senior, experienced one.
The trial will take place in the court of new district judge Lokesh Rai, who was appointed on October 14. Both changes come in the backdrop of the September 22, 2026, hearing in the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court has been closely monitoring Lakhimpur Kheri’s Tikunia violence case since 2021 and has been seeking monthly status reports. The case is listed for next hearing in the Supreme Court on October 26.
