Greater Noida, Jan 6 (IANS) A court in UP’s Greater Noida on Tuesday postponed the commencement of day-to-day hearings in the high-profile Akhlaq lynching case due to the absence of a key prosecution witness.

The daily hearing, scheduled to begin on January 6 at the Surajpur court, could not proceed as the main witness failed to appear. The court has now fixed January 8 as the next date of hearing and directed that the witness be produced under police protection.

Yusuf Saifi, advocate representing Akhlaq’s family, said that the witness could not attend the proceedings as a family member had passed away on Sunday.

“The hearing could not begin today because one of the family members of the witness died yesterday. As a result, he was unable to appear before the court to record his statement. The court has now fixed January 8 for the next date of hearing,” Saifi told IANS.

The Surajpur court had earlier ordered day-to-day hearings in the case after rejecting the Uttar Pradesh government’s plea seeking withdrawal of prosecution against the accused.

While dismissing the plea on December 23, the court observed that no convincing or legally sustainable grounds had been presented to justify withdrawal of the case.

Emphasising the gravity of the crime, the court had stated that the matter warranted a full-fledged trial against all the accused and announced that proceedings would be conducted on a daily basis from January 6 to ensure an expeditious trial. The court had also made it clear that the trial would continue without interruption.

At present, there are 14 accused in the case, all of whom are out on bail.

Following the state government’s move to withdraw the case, Akhlaq’s wife, Ikraman, had approached the Allahabad High Court. However, after the Surajpur court rejected the government’s plea and decided to continue the trial, her petition before the High Court has become infructuous.

Taking a strict view on witness protection, the court directed the Police Commissioner and the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Greater Noida, to ensure adequate security for any witness who expresses fear or seeks protection.

The Akhlaq lynching case, which has been under judicial scrutiny since 2015, had triggered nationwide outrage and intense political and social debate. Mohammad Akhlaq was killed by a mob in Uttar Pradesh’s Dadri, following allegations of cow slaughter — an incident that shook the conscience of the nation and sparked widespread discourse on mob violence and the rule of law.

–IANS

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