UP govt’s move in lynching case indefensible
The Tribune Editorial: The state has sought a district court’s nod for withdrawing charges against all those accused of murdering Mohammad Akhlaq.
THE Uttar Pradesh government seems to have paid no heed to what CJI BR Gavai said recently: “Justice is not a privilege of the few but a right of every citizen.” Keen to give a quiet burial to a horrifying case of lynching, the state has sought a district court’s nod for withdrawing charges against all those accused of murdering Mohammad Akhlaq. This resident of Bisada village in Greater Noida was dragged out of his house and beaten to death by a mob in 2015. The assailants targeted him on the basis of mere suspicion that he had slaughtered a cow and stored beef in his refrigerator. Akhlaq’s son was seriously injured while trying to save him. One of the accused is the son of a BJP leader — that’s probably a key reason for the state government’s move.
