Uttar Pradesh: Major setback for Yogi government in Akhlaq lynching case – Court rejects application to withdraw the case

The court has rejected the Uttar Pradesh government's application to withdraw the case against the accused.With this decision, any attempt to grant relief to the accused in this sensitive case has been completely halted.

During the hearing, the prosecution on behalf of the UP government argued that the case should be withdrawn. However, the court was not convinced by these arguments.

 The court clearly stated that the application filed for withdrawal of the case lacked any solid and strong legal basis.The court dismissed the prosecution's application as baseless and insignificant, and also made it clear that this decision will have no effect on the ongoing judicial process of the trial.

In other words, the trial against the accused will continue as before.In the midst of the long-pending legal process, the court's outright rejection of the government's attempt to withdraw the case is being seen as a strong indication that serious criminal cases cannot be interfered with merely on administrative or political grounds.

The incident dates back to the night of 28 September 2015. In Bisahda village near Dadri, Uttar Pradesh, a mob gathered outside the house of Mohammad Akhlaq around 10 pm. It was alleged that a calf had gone missing from the village a few days earlier, and Akhlaq's family had slaughtered and consumed its meat.

A total of 19 people were named as accused in the Akhlaq murder case. Among them, Vishal Rana (son of a local BJP leader) and his cousin Shivam Rana are among the main accused. The police had registered a case against all of them under serious sections including murder, rioting, and criminal intimidation.

Since the FIR was filed, regular hearings of this case have been going on in the court.In October 2025, the Uttar Pradesh government filed an application in the trial court seeking to withdraw the case against all the accused.

 The hearing on this application was scheduled for 18 December. Now the court has rejected this application, making it clear that the case will proceed in its original form.