Family members of the five men mowed down by an SUV owned by Union minister Ajay Mishra Teni in Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3 said Monday’s Supreme Court order had raised their hope that justice would be done.

“We were disillusioned when the Allahabad High Court granted bail to (Teni’s son and prime accused) Ashis without hearing our side. The Supreme Court has definitely instilled confidence in us that justice would be done soon,” Jagdeep Singh, elder son of slain farmer Nachchattar Singh, said after the Supreme Court cancelled Ashis’s bail.

“However, we are still apprehensive of foul play till Teni is a minister. He should have been removed from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ministry if the government had any sympathy with us…. It is because of this that I have resolved to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha election against Teni to ensure justice for all his victims,” Singh said.

On October 3, four farmers and a journalist returning from a protest were mowed down by a VIP convoy led by Teni’s SUV that hit them from behind and ploughed through them. In retaliatory violence, the driver and two BJP workers were killed. Ashis was allegedly in the SUV that mowed down the four farmers and a journalist.

Pawan Kashyap, younger brother of journalist Raman Kashyap, said: “The Uttar Pradesh government and the special investigation team (SIT) tried every means to help the Union minister’s son. However, the Supreme Court has realised that Ashis could influence the case and cancelled his bail. But the minister is out and still trying to terrorise us. He should also be behind bars.”