New Delhi: A fast-track court in Surajpur, Uttar Pradesh, on Monday (December 23, 2025) rejected the state government’s plea to drop all charges against the accused in the Mohammad Akhlaq lynching case and ordered that the trial be heard on a day-to-day basis.The 2015 lynching in Dadri had shaken the conscience of the nation. There are 14 surviving accused in the case – all of them out on bail. In response to the state government’s bid to withdraw the case against them all, Akhlaq’s wife Ikraman had moved the Allahabad High Court. However, the decision of the Surajpur court has rendered that application infructuous, Live Law reported.The fast-track court, which heard arguments from both sides, observed that the prosecution’s application lacked legal merit and was not supported by any valid grounds. Reportedly terming the plea “irrelevant and baseless”, it dismissed the public prosecutor’s request and directed the prosecution to begin recording evidence at the earliest.According to another report published on Live Law, Section 321 of the Criminal Procedure Code (in force in 2015) allows a Public Prosecutor or Assistant Public Prosecutor to apply for withdrawal from prosecution with the consent of the court – a necessary and imperative condition of the provision.In this case, the Surajpur court has denied the state permission and said the hearings must continue.Also read: The Unnerving Silence Around UP Govt’s Plan to Let Akhlaq’s Killers Walk FreeAkhlaq, 50, was lynched by a mob in Bisada village of Dadri in Gautam Buddha Nagar district on September 28, 2015, following rumours of cow slaughter. His son Danish was also assaulted and later survived after undergoing surgery.Police had later chargesheeted 19 accused, including Vishal Rana, son of a local Bharatiya Janata Party leader, and his cousin Shivam, alleging they led the mob and assaulted Akhlaq and his family. The accused face murder, rioting, criminal intimidation and other serious charges.Advocate Yusuf Saifi, representing Akhlaq’s family, said the court had completely rejected the prosecution’s plea to withdraw the case and described the order as a major victory for the victim’s family, India Today reported.The court also categorised the case as “most important” and directed that it be taken up on a day-to-day basis. It instructed the Police Commissioner of Gautam Buddha Nagar and the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Greater Noida, to ensure adequate protection to witnesses, if required, the Telegraph reported. January 6 was fixed as the next date of hearing.The Uttar Pradesh government had moved the application on October 15, the Hindu reported, under Section 321 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, seeking permission to withdraw charges against all the accused. The state had cited alleged inconsistencies in witness statements, lack of recovery of weapons and absence of prior enmity between the accused and the victim.Also read: In Akhlaq’s Village, Anger Towards the Lynched, Empathy for the AccusedThe move by the government was noted for appearing to echo the accused’s arguments, made at an earlier time, which the state (prosecution) had earlier vehemently opposed. For this reason as well, the attempt to withdraw the case drew sharp criticism.Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader and former Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament Brinda Karat has called the UP government’s decision politically motivated and appealed to President Droupadi Murmu for intervention.Now, after the Surajpur court decision, it has been reported widely that the case will continue to be heard on a daily basis, starting from the next date of the hearing, fixed at January 6, 2026.The court has also reportedly directed the Police Commissioner and the Deputy Commissioner of Police at Greater Noida, where Bisada is located, to provide adequate security to witnesses, if required.Note- The photo for this story was changed on December 24, 2025 at 10:00 am.