New Delhi: A decade after Mohammad Akhlaq's death, the Uttar Pradesh government has sought to withdraw all the charges, including murder, against the ten men accused of lynching him in Dadri in 2015. Akhlaq was killed by a mob after rumours circulated that he had slaughtered a cow and stored beef in his home. His lynching set the precedent for a slew of incidents of mob vigilantism in the Modi decade.

According to an application filed before the upper sessions court in Gautam Buddha Nagar, the state has requested the withdrawal of prosecution under Section 321 of the Criminal Procedure Code. Among the accused is Vishal Rana, son of local BJP leader Sanjay Rana, Outlook reported.

The accused had been charged under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, now replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult), and 506 (criminal intimidation).

The withdrawal request was moved on October 15 by Bhag Singh, assistant district government counsel, Gautam Buddha Nagar, following the state government's directions conveyed through a letter dated August 26, the report added.

Also read: A Man Is Being Killed

The application states that the governor of Uttar Pradesh has granted written approval for the withdrawal of prosecution and reiterates the government’s position that the meat recovered from Akhlaq’s home had been identified as beef by a government laboratory. A letter from Brijesh Kumar Mishra, joint director (prosecution), directing Singh to proceed with the withdrawal, has also been attached. The matter remains pending before the court, which must consent before charges can be dropped, Outlook reported.

On September 28, 2015, Akhlaq, a 52-year-old resident of Bisada village, and his son Danish were dragged out of their home and mercilessly assaulted after a temple loudspeaker allegedly announced that he had slaughtered a cow and kept beef in his refrigerator. While Akhlaq died on the spot, his son sustained critical injuries.

Notably, Akhlaq’s lynching triggered nationwide debate on mob violence, intolerance, and beef eating, sparking polarised responses across the political and social spectrum. Several citizen groups organised “Not In My Name” marches and political activists and scholars underlined that it indicated weakening of secular and democratic values in the country. It eventually became a grim precedent for a series of similar attacks across northern India during the Modi decade, as self-styled “gau rakshaks” targeted Muslim men on allegations of cow slaughter or cattle transport in the name of cow protection.

The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.