UP govt using Goonda Act to harass: Allahabad HC

The Allahabad High Court has criticized the Uttar Pradesh government for allegedly abusing the Goonda Act to harass individuals, stating that the state appears intent on using the strict law as a means of intimidation. The bench, led by Justice Subhash Vidyarthi, emphasized the need for the Goonda Act to be used judiciously and only in cases that clearly involve public order maintenance.

The court quashed an order issued by the Gonda district magistrate that had declared a man named Zahid Ali a goonda and banned him from the district for six months. The magistrate's decision was based on two criminal cases from 2010 and 2020, respectively, as well as a beat information report. However, the high court found that Ali had already been acquitted in the 2010 case and that there was an insufficient connection between the 2020 case and the 2026 order.

The court also rejected the police report, noting that it presented an inaccurate portrayal of Ali. Furthermore, the bench ruled that the commissioner's treatment of the acquitted case as ongoing against Ali demonstrated a lack of proper discretion. Consequently, the high court dismissed the orders from both the DM and the commissioner, allowing Ali's petition to proceed.