U.P. govt. moves to withdraw 2015 Dadri lynching case

16 NOVEMBER 2025

More than 10 years after the lynching of Mohammad Akhlaq in Dadri, the Uttar Pradesh government has sought to withdraw the case against the accused, including the son of a local BJP leader.
Additional District Government Counsel (ADGC), Gautam Buddha Nagar, has filed the withdrawal application in a local court.
All the accused in the case, who are presently out on bail, are facing trial in the case.
On September 28, 2015, a mob had gathered outside Akhlaq’s house after an alleged announcement from a village temple claiming that he had slaughtered a cow.
Akhlaq and his son Danish were dragged out of their home and assaulted until they fell unconscious.
Later, Akhlaq died at a Noida hospital.
The police filed a chargesheet against 15 people, including Vishal Rana, son of local BJP leader Sanjay Rana, as main accused who helped mobilise the mob towards Akhlaq’s house and assaulted the family.
“This is a dangerous trend as the government has started pushing to withdraw the case against accused involved in creating a divide on religious lines and committing lynching… But, in a State such as Uttar Pradesh where the Chief Minister withdraws cases against himself, such a step was coming. We condemn such an action,” said Congress national secretary Shahnawaz Alam.