Allahabad HC Slams UP Government Over Misuse of Goonda Act
· India · Hindustan Times, The Hindu
The Allahabad High Court in Lucknow quashed an order by the Gonda district magistrate that declared Zahid Ali a goonda and ordered his externment for six months. Justice Subhash Vidyarthi observed that the Uttar Pradesh government appears to be using the stringent legislation as a tool for harassment. The court found that Ali had been acquitted in a 2010 case back in 2017, yet the magistrate ignored this fact. The bench also noted a six-year gap between a 2020 criminal case and the 2026 order, finding no rational nexus between the events. Furthermore, the court refused to accept a beat information report as valid grounds since the petitioner was never given a hearing on it.
Why it matters
This ruling sets a legal precedent against the arbitrary application of the Goonda Act based on acquitted cases or unverified police reports.
Read the original report — Hindustan Times
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