The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on Friday dismissed an appeal filed by the Uttar Pradesh government in 2004 against Union Minister Ajay Mishra's acquittal in a murder case.

The case pertains to the murder of Prabhat Gupta which took place in Lakhimpur Kheri in 2000.

A trial court had acquitted Mishra in the case in 2004, after which, the state government challenged the decision in the high court.

A bench of Justice AR Masoodi and Justice OP Shukla said there was no error in the trial court's order.

Mishra and others were named in the FIR lodged in Lakhimpur in connection with the murder of 24-year-old Gupta, who was shot dead in Tikunia area of the district.

A court of additional sessions judge in Lakhimpur Kheri had acquitted Mishra and others in 2004 for want of adequate evidence.

Aggrieved by the acquittals, the state government had preferred an appeal while the deceased's family had filed a separate revision petition challenging the judgement.

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