Noida, 23 December: The district court on Tuesday rejected the state government’s petition in the Akhlaq mob lynching case in Bisahada village of Thana Jarcha area, in which an appeal was made to withdraw the case against the accused.
During the hearing, the court termed the arguments of the UP government as inadequate and baseless. The court said that there is no solid legal basis for withdrawing the case.
In fact, 10 years ago, 50-year-old Mohammad Akhlaq was allegedly beaten to death by a mob in Bisahada village of Thana Jarcha area of โโGautam Buddha Nagar district following a rumour. The mob alleged that Akhlaq’s family had killed a calf and eaten its meat. They also claimed that Akhlaq kept beef in his home.
This incident, which occurred on September 28, 2015, was widely discussed nationwide. After an investigation, the police named 19 people as accused in the case, filing a case under serious charges including murder, rioting, and threatening to kill.
Amidst the legal battle, in October 2015, the Uttar Pradesh government took a major step and filed an application in court to withdraw the charges against the accused. The case once again came into the spotlight after the Uttar Pradesh government sought permission to withdraw the charges against all 19 people named in the chargesheet.
The Uttar Pradesh government’s petition was heard on Tuesday. The prosecution argued that the case should be withdrawn. However, the court disagreed with the arguments, stating that the appeal lacked any solid legal basis. The court dismissed the application, deeming it frivolous.
Earlier, the court heard both sides. The court also announced that the next hearing in the case would be held on January 6th, and that the hearings would be held daily.
The court directed the prosecution to record further witness statements. It also directed the Police Commissioner and DCP, Greater Noida, to provide security to witnesses if they require it.
Following the court’s order, Akhlaq’s family lawyers, Yusuf Saifi and Andaleeb Naqvi, stated that the court had dismissed the prosecution’s petition and set a hearing date for January 6. They stated that they had received justice from the court and hoped to receive further justice.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Brinda Karat, who was present on the occasion, thanked the court and said that this was a major step by the court.
She said that this order was in favor of justice and that it would send an important message across the country. She alleged that the Uttar Pradesh government had conspired to withdraw the case.