(MENAFN) The family of Mohammad Akhlaq, a Muslim man lynched by a Hindu mob in Uttar Pradesh in 2015, say they will continue their fight for justice after authorities moved to drop charges against those accused of killing him. Akhlaq, 50, was beaten to death after rumors circulated that he had stored and eaten beef, a claim his family still rejects.

Cow slaughter is highly sensitive in India, where cows are sacred to the Hindu majority, and Uttar Pradesh enforces strict bans on killing cattle and consuming beef. The attack in Dadri, near Delhi, was the first major cow-related lynching to gain nationwide attention and triggered protests across the country.

According to the family’s lawyer, 18 people were charged with offences including murder and rioting, and all are out on bail. The BJP-led state government has now asked a local court to dismiss the case, arguing in a recent application that witness testimonies contain "inconsistencies" and fail to reliably identify the accused. The court will decide on the request on 12 December.

The family, shocked by the development, is preparing to challenge the move. "We never thought that our fight of 10 years would be attempted to be closed off like this," Akhlaq’s brother Jaan Mohammad said, adding that the family has not returned to their village since the killing and now fears for its safety. He recalled how a mob armed with sticks, swords and pistols stormed the house after an announcement from a Hindu temple alleging cow slaughter. The attackers found meat in the refrigerator that the family maintains was mutton.

Akhlaq died at the scene and his son was seriously injured.

The case drew widespread condemnation, although critics said Prime Minister Narendra Modi commented too late, and some BJP figures were accused of downplaying the attack. Initial arrests were swift, but charges took three months to file. Police first named 15 accused, including a juvenile and a local BJP leader’s son, before adding four more; one later died.

In requesting that charges be dropped, the state government pointed to differing witness accounts: Akhlaq’s wife initially named 10 people, his daughter 16, and his son 19. The application also said that although police seized sticks, rods and bricks, they found no firearms or swords as mentioned in the wife’s complaint. It further stated that beef was recovered from the scene, and a cow slaughter case filed against Akhlaq’s family in 2016 remains pending.

Akhlaq’s family insists the meat was goat, and their lawyer says the contradictory accounts can be attributed to the chaos of the attack. He argued that what matters is whether evidence supports the names listed.

As they await the court’s decision, the family remains hopeful. "I still have faith in the court," Jaan Mohammad said. "I believe justice would be done one day."

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