New Delhi: The Uttar Pradesh police have informed the Supreme Court that they have not found any evidence linking former Union minister Ajay Kumar Mishra ‘Teni’ and his son Ashish Mishra to the alleged intimidation of a witness in the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence case.The father-son duo, along with former zilla panchayat member Amandeep Singh and an unidentified individual were booked last October for allegedly intimidating Baljinder Singh to prevent him from recording his testimony. Baljinder Singh was an eyewitness in the 2021 violence case in which Ashish Mishra alias ‘Monu’ is the main accused.An FIR was registered against the father-son duo and the other two in October last year on charges of criminal conspiracy, criminal intimidation and threatening a witness to give false evidence. The case was registered by Lakhimpur Kheri police on the explicit directions of the Supreme Court. The complainant Baljinder Singh had knocked on the doors of the apex court after the local police had allegedly refused to register his complaint.Baljinder Singh alleged that he had been intimidated twice in August 2023.Also read: Lakhimpur-Kheri Violence: After SC Rap, UP Police Book BJP Leader Teni, Son For Threatening WitnessThe 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri caseEight persons were killed in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case of 2021 – four farmers, one journalist, two BJP workers and their driver. Ashish Mishra is the main accused in the killing of the four farmers and the journalist.Farmers pay respect to deceased farmers and a reporter in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence in a ceremony. Photo: Ismat AraThree vehicles belonging to Bhartiya Janata Party leader Ajay Mishra’s convoy ran over protesting farmers in the Tikonia area of Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3, 2021, killing four of them. Two FIRs were registered in the incident. One was by the farmers against Ashish Mishra and others. The second was by Sumit Jaiswal, a BJP worker, one of the accused in the first case, against unknown farmers.A Special Investigation Team formed by the state government has arrested 13 accused persons in the FIR lodged over the killing of the farmers. The name of the 14th accused, Virendra Shukla, was added to the chargesheet under Section 201 (causing disappearance of evidence).In the second FIR regarding the murder of the BJP workers, charges were framed against four farmers: Guruwinder Singh, Kamaljeet Singh, Gurupreet Singh and Vichitra Singh.Supreme Court watches over caseOn July 16, the Supreme Court, which has been closely monitoring the trial of the original case, was provided with a status report into the witness intimidation FIR. UP police informed the bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana that the allegations against Ajay Mishra and his son could not be substantiated during investigation.The chargesheet in the case was filed only against their co-accused Amandeep Singh, whose wife is a block pramukh in Nighasan, Lakhimpur.Advocates appearing for the UP police informed the court that the investigation in the witness intimidation case had been concluded. Reading out the status report submitted by the police, CJI Surya Kant noted that Ajay Mishra and Ashish Mishra were not found involved in the alleged offence.The chargesheet against Amandeep Singh was filed in May under Indian Penal Code sections 195A (threatening a witness to give false evidence) and 506 (criminal intimidation).A detailed order of the Supreme Court is yet to be uploaded but sources linked to the case confirmed to The Wire that the police probe had exonerated the Mishras and concluded that Amandeep had acted alone.Talking to The Wire, Amandeep Singh denied all the allegations of intimidation and allurement made against him by Baljinder Singh. “Whatever he is saying is false,” said Amandeep Singh.Also read: ‘Battle Half Won’: Kin of Lakhimpur Dead Demand Justice Amidst Law Repeal VictoryAmandeep Singh also claimed that he had gone to Baljinder Singh’s house upon his invitation and merely asked him to give truthful testimony in the case. “I only reminded him that the Guru Granth Sahib says that one should always give truthful testimony. I asked him to follow this. I didn’t ask him to give his testimony in favour or against anyone,” said Amandeep.The cross trial in both the cases regarding the violence drags on in a local court.Baljinder Singh is one of the witnesses against Ashish Mishra and the others. He was injured in the October 3, 2021 incident after being hit by one of the speeding vehicles belonging to the Mishras. Ajay Mishra was then the Union minister of state for home affairs and MP representing Kheri. He lost his seat in the 2024 election.Baljinder Singh’s complaintIn his police complaint, Baljinder Singh said that he was due to testify in court on August 16, 2023.However, a day earlier (August 15), at around 10:30 am, Amandeep Singh along with an associate arrived at his home, he said.Baljinder alleged that Amandeep pressured him to not give his testimony and threatened him. Amandeep also tried to lure him with money, alleged Baljinder, who added that he recorded the conversation on his phone.Baljinder said that, terrified by Amandeep Singh’s threat, he fled to his in-laws’ house in Ramnagari Patrasi the same evening. He alleged that the following morning, when he was getting ready to go to the court, Amandeep Singh and another person came to his in-laws’ house and once again pressured him not testify, threatened him and forcibly tried to give him Rs 1 lakh in cash, which he refused.“I recorded the entire conversation on my mobile,” he said.Baljinder alleged that Amandeep was sent by Ajay Mishra. Due to these threats by Amandeep and the fear of the Mishra father-son duo, Baljinder said he leased out all his land in the village and moved to Punjab along with his family. Baljinder said he feared they could get him murdered.Senior advocate Siddharth Dave, appearing for Ashish Mishra in the Supreme Court, said that 62 witnesses had yet to testify in the trial against the latter. All eye witnesses have been examined, he said.The prosecution had initially identified 208 witnesses in the case but decided to examine only 131. Fifteen witnesses were discharged.Omar Rashid is an independent journalist.