AhlulBayt News Agency: The 52-year-old was killed by his neighbours on suspicion of slaughtering a calf.
According to the report, that the government has applied to the Upper Sessions Court in Gautam Buddha Nagar, where the case is being heard, seeking the withdrawal of all charges against the accused. The withdrawal application was moved on October 15 by the Assistant District Government Counsel in Gautam Buddha Nagar, acting on the directions of the State Government conveyed through a letter dated August 26.
The application states that the Governor has granted written approval for the withdrawal of prosecution.
On September 28, 2015, in a small village of Bisahda near Dadri, 52-year-old Mohammed Akhlaq and his young son, Danish, 22, were brutally assaulted by the Hindutva mob, after a temple loudspeaker allegedly announced that he had slaughtered a cow and stored beef in his refrigerator. While Akhlaq succumbed, Danish suffered grave injuries.
They were dragged to the courtyard and attacked with sticks, bricks and knives. Akhlaq was hit on his head and chest, leaving him unconscious. According to his daughter, Sajida, the mob also tried to molest the female members, including her grandmother.
Despite national attention to the case, all 18 villagers accused of the murder were released on bail by September 2017, immediately after the BJP’s Yogi Adityanath was sworn into power. Among the accused is Vishal Rana, son of local BJP leader Sanjay Rana from Dadri.
While the accused returned to the village, Akhlaq’s family moved out in fear of hostilities.
The accused were initially charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), and 506 (criminal intimidation).
Akhlaq’s lynching triggered the Not In My Name protests in Indian cities, denouncing the spike in Hindutva mob violence. But the hostilities later became normalised with cow vigilantism and mob violence becoming common in BJP-ruled states.
Akhlaq’s Lynching: Concerns Over UP Govt’s Move to Protect Hindu Accused
Legal experts and the Muslim community have expressed their outrage after the Uttar Pradesh government sought to withdraw the case related to the 2015 brutal mob lynching of 52-year-old Akhlaq Ahmed in Bishara village in Dadri. The move has sparked concerns that the state is trying to protect the accused, with many questioning the government’s intention to “restore social harmony” by letting the perpetrators go free.
Akhlaq’s family and lawyer, Yusuf Saifi, are vehemently opposing the withdrawal, citing witness statements and evidence against the accused. Saifi calls the move an attempt to influence the court and shield the killers, saying, “This is a mob lynching. You cannot take back such a case.”
The government’s reasoning, citing “old rivalry” and the need to protect the accused as “Indian citizens”, has been widely criticised by legal experts and Muslim groups. The case, which has been ongoing for a decade, is seen as a test of the state’s commitment to justice and protecting minority rights.
On the night of 28 September 2015, a rumour was spread in Bishara village, involving local residents and members of a Hindu group, accusing Akhlaq of storing beef in his home. Soon after, a Hindutva mob stormed his house.
Akhlaq was beaten to death inside his own room. His son, Danish, was hit so badly that he was left fighting for life. His wife, Ikraman, later filed a complaint naming 10 attackers, and another four to five unidentified men.
Eyewitnesses — including Akhlaq’s wife, his mother Asgari, daughter Shaista, and son Danish — gave clear statements to the police. Based on this testimony, the number of accused rose to 18. A charge sheet was filed in December 2015. All surviving accused are currently out on bail.
Police took meat from Akhlaq’s home and sent it to two different labs.
The first report from Mathura in 2017 said it was cow meat. But the second report from a Hyderabad DNA lab found it to be sheep or goat meat.
The conflicting results raised doubts over how evidence was handled, and many Muslims at the time said the entire case was twisted to justify the mob attack.
In its letter to the court, the administration claimed that since both the victim and the accused live in the same village, and because eyewitnesses gave statements that changed some names, there may have been “old rivalry” between families.
The application says the case should be withdrawn “to restore social harmony”, and that the accused “are Indian citizens who must receive legal protection”.
This reasoning has shocked legal experts and Muslim groups, who say the state is trying to free the men charged with a violent, public murder.
Akhlaq’s lawyer Saifi also explained the details of the charge sheet: “A named case was filed against 10 people, and four to five were unnamed. A charge sheet was prepared against 15. Among them, two were minors whose matters went to the Juvenile Court. One accused has died. The rest are on bail.”
Muslim families in Bishara and nearby areas say they fear the withdrawal will send a clear message that mobs who kill Muslims can walk free. Many called it an “open attempt to save the attackers”.
A local resident said, “A Muslim man was beaten to death. His son was almost killed. How can the government now say the case should be closed? This is injustice.”
Human rights workers also expressed concern, saying the move deepens the fear already felt by Muslims across Uttar Pradesh.
The final decision now lies with the court. The judge will examine whether the state’s request is acceptable or amounts to misuse of power.
For Akhlaq’s family, the hope for justice continues. As his daughter Shaista once said in court, “My father was killed for no reason. We saw everything. We want justice, nothing else.”
The next hearing is expected soon, and the family’s lawyer says they will continue to challenge every attempt to free the accused.
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