Court Denies Withdrawal of Charges in Akhlaq Lynching Case Amid Ongoing Legal Battles

Recent court rulings have brought significant attention to high-profile cases in India, including the Akhlaq lynching and the Unnao rape case involving Kuldeep Singh Sengar. The trial court has denied the Uttar Pradesh government's request to withdraw charges against those accused of lynching Mohammad Akhlaq, while the Delhi High Court has suspended Sengar's life sentence. Additionally, protests have erupted against communal violence in Bangladesh, prompting diplomatic responses. This article delves into these critical legal developments and their implications.

By Narendra Chaudhary Dec 23, 2025, 19:36 IST

Court Ruling on Akhlaq Lynching Case

A trial court has dismissed a request from the Uttar Pradesh government to drop all charges against ten individuals implicated in the 2015 lynching of Mohammad Akhlaq. The court has mandated that this case be classified as “most important” and scheduled for daily hearings.

Additionally, the court instructed authorities to communicate with the police to ensure the preservation of evidence.

On September 28, 2015, 50-year-old Akhlaq was brutally killed following allegations that he and his family had slaughtered a calf and consumed beef during Eid celebrations.

A forensic analysis conducted in May 2016 confirmed that the meat found in Akhlaq’s residence was from a cow or its offspring. However, police stated that this finding does not lessen the severity of the murder charge.

Since 2017, all accused individuals have been released on bail.

Suspension of Kuldeep Singh Sengar's Life Sentence

The Delhi High Court has suspended the life sentence of Kuldeep Singh Sengar, a former Bharatiya Janata Party leader, in connection with the Unnao rape case. The court granted him bail and instructed him to remain in Delhi while his appeal against the conviction is pending.

Sengar is prohibited from approaching within a 5 km radius of the victim’s residence and must report to the police every Monday at 10 am. He is also required to provide a personal bond of Rs 15 lakh along with three sureties of the same amount.

In December 2019, Sengar was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment for raping a minor in Unnao in 2017.

Protests Against Communal Violence in Bangladesh

On Tuesday, hundreds affiliated with Hindutva organizations demonstrated outside the Bangladesh High Commission, protesting against recent communal violence in Bangladesh, including the lynching of a Hindu man. Participants included members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal.

Earlier, Bangladesh’s foreign ministry summoned the Indian ambassador to express concerns regarding the safety of its diplomatic missions in India following protests on December 20 and 22.

Following the disturbances in the high-security area on Tuesday, Delhi Police detained several individuals.

A Hindu man named Dipu Chandra Das was killed by a mob in Mymensingh district, Bangladesh, on December 18, accused of blasphemy. Seven individuals have been arrested in connection with this incident.

Government Issues Takedown Notices to Social Media Platform

The Union government has sent 91 takedown notices to the social media platform X since March 2024, targeting over 1,100 URLs for allegedly breaching legal regulations. More than half of these URLs, specifically 566, were flagged for “disturbing public order,” according to reports.

There has been a noticeable increase in such notices around the time of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and during Operation Sindoor in May.

These notices were issued under Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act through the ministry’s Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre.

This section stipulates that online intermediaries, like social media platforms, risk losing their safe harbour status if they do not remove or restrict access to content used for unlawful activities after being notified by government authorities.