Noida, Dec 23 (PTI) A court in Surajpur on Tuesday rejected the Uttar Pradesh government’s plea seeking withdrawal of charges against the accused in the 2015 lynching of Mohammad Akhlaq in Dadri and directed that the trial be conducted on a day-to-day basis.
Additional District and Sessions Judge’s court dismissed the application filed by the prosecution as “baseless”, advocate Yusuf Saifi, counsel for Akhlaq’s family, told PTI.
The next hearing has been fixed for January 6, he said.
“The court has rejected the state government’s application to withdraw all charges against the accused in the Akhlaq lynching case and ordered fast-tracking of the trial with daily hearings,” Saifi said.
Earlier, the matter had been listed for December 18 and was subsequently scheduled for hearing on December 23.
The Uttar Pradesh government had moved the court seeking permission to withdraw the case against all the accused, citing maintenance of social harmony. The application was filed by the assistant district government advocate (criminal) following directions from the state government and the joint director of prosecution.
Mohammad Akhlaq was killed in September 2015 after a mob attacked him at his residence in Bisahda village under Jarcha police station limits in Greater Noida over rumours that beef was stored there, triggering nationwide outrage and debate over mob violence and communal tensions. PTI COR KIS RT RT
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