Confession can't be sole ground to convict a person under NSA: SC fines UP govt Rs 10 lakh

The Supreme Court has fined the Uttar Pradesh government Rs 10 lakh for using a confession statement as the sole basis for detaining an accused under the National Security Act (NSA). The bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Sheel Nagu quashed Afroz's preventive detention, ordering his release. The NSA allows the government to detain individuals for up to 12 months if they are deemed a threat to the country's defense.

The recent tensions in Sambhal stemmed from a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid, which led to violent clashes between protesters and security personnel. Four people lost their lives during the unrest in November 2024.