LUCKNOW: A decade after 50-year-old Mohammad Akhlaq was brutally lynched by his neighbours, including the son of a local BJP leader, in Uttar Pradesh's Dadri, the state government has decided to withdraw charges against all the accused.
According to Gautam Buddha Nagar Additional District Government Counsel (ADGC), Bhag Singh Bhati, the withdrawal application, issued by the state government, was filed before the competent court on October 15.
"The court is yet to pass order on the application. It has rather fixed December 12 for hearing the matter," said Bhati.
Bhati added that it was for the court to decide whether the case would be withdrawn or not. Until then, the trial would continue.
"So far, the testimony of the first prosecution witness — the complainant and the deceased's daughter, Shaista— is underway," Bhati added.
Defence counsel BR Sharma, also confirmed that withdrawal application was moved by the government counsel in the court.
On September 18, 2015, a mob gathered outside Akhlaq's home in the Bisada village in Dadri after an announcement from the local temple alleged that he had slaughtered a cow and stored its meat in the fridge. The mob --led by Vishal Rana, son of a local BJP leader, and cousin Shivam-- dragged Akhlaq and his son Danish out of their home and assaulted them until they fell unconscious.
While Akhlaq died at a Noida hospital, Danish survived after suffering severe head injuries and undergoing major surgery.
Police had registered an FIR at Jarcha police station under sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting with deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 323 (assault), 504 (intentional insult to disturb peace), of IPC.
In 2015, the Gautam Buddha Nagar police filed a chargesheet against 15 people, naming Vishal Rana and Shivam as the main conspirators who led the mob to Akhlaq’s house and assaulted the family.
The lynching led to nationwide protests involving slogans "Not in my name," to denounce the spike in Hindutva mob violence targeting Muslims.
However, despite nationwide outrage, all 15 accused were released on bail by September 2017.
According to police, a forensic examination of the meat recovered from Akhlaq’s house found that it belonged to a "cow or its progeny." Akhlaq's family alleged that the samples were switched.
In 2016, a Surajpur court ordered a separate FIR to be filed against Akhlaq’s family for alleged cow slaughter.