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Supreme Court Quashes Sambhal NSA Detention, Questions Preventive Safeguards

Supreme Court Quashes Sambhal NSA Detention, Questions Preventive Safeguards
Detained First, Heard Later: Sambhal NSA Verdict Shows Gaps in 'Preventive' Laws · thequint.com

Mulla Afroz was held under a law that allows preventive detention.

He was accused in connection with violence in Sambhal in November 2024.

On September 29, 2026, the Supreme Court said the order keeping him detained was unlawful and cancelled it.

The Court ordered that he be released unless another case required him to remain in custody.

It also ordered the Uttar Pradesh government to pay him Rs 10 lakh.

The detention had already lasted for much of the order’s period before the Court ruled.

The article says this shows that a person may win a legal challenge after spending time detained.

It raises questions about how well safeguards protect people while their cases are being reviewed.

Key facts

Court ruling date
September 29, 2026
Detention law
National Security Act (NSA)
Accusation context
November 2024 Sambhal violence
Court's finding
The detention order's supporting grounds were unsustainable.
Release direction
Release Afroz unless he was required in another case.
Costs
Rs 10 lakh, payable to Afroz by the Uttar Pradesh government.
Prior scrutiny
The order had undergone administrative review and High Court scrutiny.

Quotes

Supreme Court of India

The Court that quashed Mulla Afroz’s preventive detention under the National Security Act.

“The process was made the punishment.”
thequint.com

Sources

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