The Uttar Pradesh government’s application to withdraw prosecution against all accused in the 2015 Dadri lynching case, with permission granted by Governor Anandiben Patel, has provoked widespread shock and condemnation across legal circles and civil society.

The fast-track court overseeing the trial is expected to pronounce its decision by Thursday, 18 December, closing a decade-long pursuit of justice for Mohammad Akhlaq, a 52-year-old man brutally killed in his home near Delhi.

On the night of 28 September 2015, a mob assaulted Akhlaq, accusing him of possessing beef — a claim disproved by forensic tests — dragging him from his home in Bisahda village, Gautam Buddh Nagar district, and beating him to death.

His son Danish also suffered serious injuries in the attack. The incident sparked nationwide outrage as one of India’s earliest high-profile lynchings linked to communal violence around cow protection.

After years of delays, the trial began in 2022. Witness testimonies —including from family members — and documentary evidence were duly presented.........

© National Herald