Sambhal Violence Case: SC Sets Aside NSA Detention Of Mulla Afroz, Says Confession Alone Cannot Justify Action
Lucknow: The Supreme Court has set aside the preventive detention of Sambhal violence accused Mulla Afroz under the National Security Act, holding that a confession allegedly made by an accused cannot, by itself, form the basis for such detention. Supreme Court sets aside detention A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Sheel Nagu found fault with the manner in which the authorities exercised…
The Supreme Court has overturned the preventive detention of Mulla Afroz, a suspect in the Sambhal violence, under the National Security Act (NSA). The bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Sheel Nagu deemed a confession alone insufficient to justify detention. The Court ordered the Uttar Pradesh government to pay a fine of ₹10 lakh.
In Sambhal, UP, violence erupted on November 24, 2024, during a court-ordered survey at Shahi Jama Masjid. Four people died and many were injured when protesters clashed with security personnel during the second survey round. Afroz was arrested in January 2025 and later charged in connection with the violence. Initially, the Allahabad High Court upheld his detention order, stating the District Magistrate had considered the available material and recorded reasons for invoking the NSA.
The Supreme Court's ruling highlighted the exceptional nature of preventive detention provisions under the NSA, which require detention authorities to consider relevant circumstances and not rely solely on a confession for subjective satisfaction.
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