UP govt seeks withdrawal of all charges against accused in Mohammad Akhlaq lynching case
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New Delhi: Ten years after the lynching of Mohammad Akhlaq in Uttar Pradesh’s Dadri, the state government has moved to withdraw all charges including murder against the men accused of killing him in 2015. Akhlaq, then 52, was dragged out of his home in Bisada village and lynched by a mob after rumours spread that he had slaughtered a cow and stored beef in his refrigerator.
According to an application filed before the upper sessions court in Gautam Buddha Nagar, the Uttar Pradesh government has sought to withdraw the case under Section 321 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, Outlook reported. Among the accused is Vishal Rana, son of local BJP leader Sanjay Rana.
The men had been booked under several sections of the Indian Penal Code now replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita including: 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult), 506 (criminal intimidation).
The withdrawal application was filed on October 15 by Bhag Singh, Assistant District Government Counsel, following directions from the state government conveyed through a letter on August 26.
The state also informed the court that the Governor of Uttar Pradesh has given written approval to withdraw the prosecution. The application reiterates the government’s position that the meat recovered from Akhlaq’s house had been identified as beef by a government laboratory. A letter from Brijesh Kumar Mishra, Joint Director (Prosecution), instructing Singh to proceed with the withdrawal, was attached with the petition.
The matter is pending before the court, which must grant its consent before any charges can be formally dropped.
Akhlaq’s lynching on September 28, 2015, sparked nationwide outrage and became a defining moment in public debates on mob violence and rising communal tensions during the Modi decade.
As per reports from the time, a temple loudspeaker in Bisada allegedly announced that beef had been found in Akhlaq’s home. Soon after, a mob stormed the house. Akhlaq died on the spot, while his son Danish sustained critical injuries.
The incident triggered widespread protests across the country. Citizens organised “Not In My Name” marches, and political leaders, scholars, and activists described the lynching as a sign of eroding secular and democratic values. It later became a reference point for a series of similar attacks in northern India, where vigilante groups targeted Muslim men on allegations of cow slaughter or cattle transport.
The court will now hear the government’s withdrawal request. Only after the court’s consent can the charges against the accused be dropped.
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Minor girl kidnapped and raped; main accused and two cafe owners held
Latur (PTI): A minor girl was allegedly kidnapped and raped by an 18-year-old man in Latur, leading to the arrest of the main accused and owners of two cafes where the crime occurred on December 4, police said on Saturday.
Police traced the girl within hours of registering the complaint. The accused, identified as Rihan Gulab Shaikh, was arrested based on the girl's complaint. Two others are owners of two cafes where the crime occurred, police said.
Police registered a case under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), POCSO Act, and the Prevention of Atrocities Act, an official said.
