Supreme Court Dismisses UP Police Inaction on Witness Threats

The Supreme Court has criticized the UP Police for failing to act on a witness's threat complaint in a case involving ex-Union Minister's son Ashish Mishra. The top court urged senior police officials to record the witness's statement and directed the trial court to expedite proceedings.

The Supreme Court expressed dissatisfaction with the Uttar Pradesh Police's justification for not addressing a witness complaint involving threats, related to a case with Ashish Mishra, the son of an ex-Union Minister, who allegedly drove over protesting farmers.

The court previously allowed the witness, Baljinder Singh, to report the threat to local authorities. However, UP government officials claimed Singh did not cooperate by appearing before the police. The court suggested senior police visit Singh to collect his statement if Singh remains uncooperative and requested an affidavit verifying the complaint's status.

During the hearing, victims' advocate Prashant Bhushan called for daily trials; however, the court did not accept this, instead urging swift witness examinations. The trial continues, with interim bail conditions for Mishra being strictly monitored to prevent witness influence.

(With inputs from agencies.)