A fast-track court in Uttar Pradesh&rsquo;s Gautam Budh Nagar has rejected the state government&rsquo;s attempt to withdraw charges in the 2015 Dadri lynching of Mohammad Akhlaq, a decision that keeps alive one of the country&rsquo;s most troubling cases of mob violence. The ruling comes nearly a decade after Akhlaq was beaten to death by a mob over allegations linked to beef consumption during Eid.
The court dismissed an application moved by the public prosecutor under Section 321 of the CrPC, which sought to drop proceedings against the 14 surviving accused. Alongside rejecting the plea, the judge directed that the trial be conducted on a day-to-day basis and ordered safeguards to ensure the protection of evidence, signalling an intent to prevent further delays.
The case had returned to focus earlier in the day after Akhlaq&rsquo;s widow approached the Allahabad High Court, challenging the state&rsquo;s decision to withdraw the prosecution and the prosecutor&rsquo;s plea before the trial court. Her intervention underscored long-standing concerns of the victim&rsquo;s family over accountability and closure.
Mohammad Akhlaq was lynched in Dadri in 2015 after rumours spread that he had consumed and stored beef. Police had registered the case under multiple IPC provisions, including murder. Of the 18 accused initially arrested, three of them minors, one died in 2016, while the remaining 14 are currently out on bail as the trial now moves forward under closer judicial scrutiny.

Fast-track court rejects UP bid to drop charges in the 2015 Dadri lynching

Court Blocks Withdrawal in Akhlaq Case

Fast-track court rejects UP bid to drop charges in the 2015 Dadri lynching

December 23, 2025 | 23:51 IST