Archive · 30 Jul 2026
Court Quashes Externments of SDPI Protesters
Four people who were part of a political group were told by the police that they could not leave their homes in Mumbai for about two years.
They said this stopped them from going to work, seeing their families, and voting in local elections.
A judge in the Bombay High Court said the police had no right to do this because it was only about their political views.
The judge cancelled three of the four orders, saying they were unfair.
The last case is still waiting for a decision.
The government said the police were right because the people had protested without permission and were linked to a banned group.
The judge said the protest rules were too harsh and that the people were treated like criminals for speaking out.
Four SDPI members were externed by Mumbai Police from Dec 2025 to early 2026, preventing them from work, family events, and the 2026 BMC elections.
Externments were based on FIRs from 2019‑2025 protests over the Citizenship Amendment Act, Ayodhya, and other issues, though the men had no criminal record.
Bombay High Court Justice Madhav J Jamdar quashed three externment orders, ruling they violated fundamental rights and were unjustified.
The court questioned selective use of externment against SDPI members and noted that protest without permission carries only a one‑month penalty.
The remaining case (Ansari) is pending; the government defended the action citing protest without permission and alleged links to the banned Popular Front of India.
- Who
- Saeed Ahmed Abdul Wahid Choudhary, Akbar Hussain Sayyed, Mohammad Rafiq Gulam Rasul Ansari, Firoz Abdul Wahab Khan
- What
- Externed by Mumbai Police and later quashed by Bombay High Court
- When
- December 2025 – early 2026 (externment); July 2025 – July 2026 (court decisions)
- Where
- Mumbai, Mumbra, Thane district
- Why
- Police action based on FIRs from 2019‑2025 protests; court ruled it violated fundamental rights
- Externed individuals
- 4
- Police agency
- Mumbai Police
- Court
- Bombay High Court
- Legal basis
- Sections 56 & 58 of Maharashtra Police Act
- Outcome
- 3 orders quashed, 1 pending