Brinda Karat Writes to President Murmu on UP Governor's Assent to Akhlaq Case Withdrawal

New Delhi: Senior Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Brinda Karat, a former Rajya Sabha member, has written to president Droupadi Murmu, seeking her intervention in the case related to the mob lynching of Mohammad Akhlaq in September 2015.

A resident of Dadri in Uttar Pradesh, Akhlaq was brutally killed in a case of religious discrimination on mere suspicion of having possessed beef. Recently the state's governor, Anandiben Patel, gave permission to the Adityanath government to withdraw the case against the accused. This happened after evidence against the accused has been provided and recorded in court.

Karat writes, "If the government is taking such a politically motivated step to withdraw a case of murder, attempt to murder and mob lynching, should not the Governor counsel the government against such a step?"

Karat has requested Murmu to intervene and "direct" the governor to withdraw her permission.

The text of the body of the letter is as follows.

I write to draw your urgent attention to the role of the UP Governor in the matter of the mob lynching case of Md. Akhlaq which occurred in September 2015. The Governor has given written permission to the UP Government to go ahead in its wholly illegal and unjust attempt to subvert the processes of justice and to withdraw the entire case even though the main witness has already given evidence. With the Governor’s permission the UP government has filed an affidavit in the District Court Greater Noida to withdraw the case. I regret that I am forced to write to you on this matter, but since the Governor has been appointed by you and is answerable to you, I felt it in the interests of justice to inform you of the facts and to request your urgent intervention. On earlier occasions you have graciously intervened on several matters in the cause of justice.

1.    Md. Akhlaq a resident of Bisahada village Gautam Budhnagar was lynched by a mob outside his home on September 28, 2015. His son Daanish was grievously injured in the same assault. A case was filed under Sec. 147, 148, 149, 307, 323, 302, 504, 506, 427 and 458 of the IPC. There was national outrage at the brutal murder. The Government assured it would ensure punishment to those involved. From the time of the brutal murder till today I have been in touch with the family and I know the great suffering they have undergone, their courage and their belief that they would get justice. Even today Daanish has not fully recovered and carries the impact of the grievous wounds inflicted on him.

2.    The Charge Sheet was filed and the case started. In 2022, the direct witness, the daughter of the victim gave evidence and named and identified all the accused. In other words, evidence against the accused has been presented and recorded in the court. The case is going on and two other direct witnesses are to give their statements.

3.    At such a time, the UP government has taken a decision to withdraw the case on utterly indefensible grounds such as lathis were used not guns, there was no personal animosity with the victim, continuing the case will lead to communal disharmony and so on. All this time the prosecution has delayed the case, not giving notice to the witnesses to appear and today the delay is being made grounds to withdraw the case.

4.    This is motivated not to meet the ends of justice but to subvert the entire judicial process. It is a blatant misuse of CrPC 321. The point however is, if the government is taking such a politically motivated step to withdraw a case of murder, attempt to murder and mob lynching, should not the Governor counsel the government against such a step? Is it not the duty of the Governor to uphold the constitution and the rule of law? If such a case is withdrawn what will be left of the processes of justice? Will this not then apply to all cases of mob lynching that lathis were used not guns, that there is no personal animosity, that harmony requires that such cases be withdrawn?

It is because of these disturbing questions that I write to you, with the hope that you will intervene and direct the Governor to withdraw the permission given.

The matter is urgent as the government affidavit approved by the Governor which was to be discussed in the Court yesterday (December 12, 2025) was postponed on the request of the prosecution.

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