New Delhi: The Uttar Pradesh government has asked a sessions court in Gautam Buddha Nagar to withdraw all charges against the ten men accused of lynching Mohammad Akhlaq in 2015. The move comes ten years after the killing in Bisada village, an incident that drew national attention and raised concern among Muslim communities across India.
Akhlaq was attacked by a mob after rumours spread that he had stored beef in his home. He died at the scene. His son Danish survived with severe injuries. The accused were booked under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, including murder, attempt to murder and criminal intimidation. These sections now fall under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita after recent changes in the criminal law framework.
The application to withdraw prosecution was filed on October 15 by the assistant district government counsel. It cites written approval from the state governor and a direction from the state government. The request invokes Section 321 of the Criminal Procedure Code, which allows the state to seek to end prosecution, although the court must still approve the move.
One of the accused is the son of a local BJP leader. The application repeats the government’s earlier claim that meat found in Akhlaq’s home was beef, based on a laboratory report. The court has not yet given its decision.
Akhlaq’s death prompted public protests and wide debate on mob violence and the safety of minorities. Citizen groups held marches and questioned the growing trend of vigilantism in the name of cow protection. Several incidents of similar mob attacks took place in the years that followed, often targeting Muslim men on allegations linked to cattle.
