Supreme Court Quashes NSA Detention and Fines Uttar Pradesh ₹10 Lakh

The Supreme Court quashed Mulla Afroz’s detention under the National Security Act, set aside the Allahabad High Court ruling that had upheld it, and ordered Uttar Pradesh to pay ₹10 lakh in costs. The court held that an alleged confession made in police custody could not alone justify preventive detention and that authorities had failed to properly consider other relevant circumstances. Afroz was detained after being accused of involvement in the November 2024 Sambhal violence, which followed a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid and left four people dead. Uttar Pradesh had defended the detention on public-order grounds, while Afroz challenged its legality.
Afroz was arrested about 54 days after the Sambhal incident. Although he later secured bail from the Allahabad High Court, he remained in custody after the authorities issued an NSA detention order on October 13, 2025.
The Supreme Court stressed that preventive detention is intended to avert potential future threats, not punish someone for alleged past crimes.
The court dedicated its judgment to a law clerk who died shortly before his 27th birthday.
Afroz’s petition alleged that police opened fire during the violence and argued that this aspect had not been investigated; Maktoob reported that four Muslim youths were killed in police firing.
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