A court in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday rejected the state government’s plea to withdraw charges against the accused in the 2015 lynching of Mohammad Akhlaq in Dadri, according to media reports.
Additional District Judge Saurabh Dwivedi dismissed the application filed by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Uttar Pradesh government, which had sought to drop all charges against the accused. The judge ordered that the case be treated as a most important matter and directed that the trial be held on a daily basis. He also instructed the government to ensure that all evidence related to the case is properly protected. The matter will be heard again on January 6.
Mohammad Akhlaq, aged 50, was lynched by a mob on September 28, 2015, after rumours spread that he and his family had slaughtered a calf and consumed beef during Eid. The incident triggered nationwide outrage and a wider debate on religious intolerance and mob violence.
In May 2016, a forensic report stated that the meat found in Akhlaq’s house was that of a cow or its progeny. Police later said that the nature of the meat did not change the case, as murder remained a criminal offence.
On October 15, the Uttar Pradesh government had moved an application before the sessions court in Gautam Budh Nagar under the Criminal Procedure Code, seeking permission to withdraw the case against the accused. The application said the government had received written approval from the governor and referred to the forensic report identifying the meat as beef.
All the accused have been out on bail since 2017. They face charges including murder, attempt to murder, voluntarily causing hurt, intentional insult to provoke breach of peace and criminal intimidation. Of the 18 people arrested in the case, three were minors, and one accused died in 2016. Fourteen accused are currently facing trial.
Earlier on Tuesday, Akhlaq’s wife approached the Allahabad High Court challenging the state government’s decision to withdraw the case and the application filed by the public prosecutor before the trial court.
Before becoming chief minister, Yogi Adityanath had publicly stated that Akhlaq’s family should be booked for cow slaughter and that the compensation given to them after the lynching should be taken back. At the time of the incident, then chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had announced a compensation of Rs 20 lakh for Akhlaq’s family. The family later moved to Delhi, citing fears for their safety.
