Supreme Court quashes NSA detention of Sambhal violence accused, slaps ₹10 lakh costs on U.P. govt.
The Supreme Court of India has quashed a preventive detention order under the National Security Act against a man accused in the 2024 Sambhal violence. The court criticized the Uttar Pradesh government for illegal exercise of power and imposed a fine of ₹10 lakh.
Why it matters
This ruling serves as a significant check on the state's use of preventive detention laws and highlights judicial scrutiny of police procedures.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday (September 29, 2026) quashed a preventive detention order passed under the National Security Act (NSA) against a man in connection with the November 2024 Sambhal violence, holding that the power of detention had been “illegally exercised”. It also imposed costs of ₹10 lakh on the Uttar Pradesh government.
A Bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Sheel Nagu set aside the October 2025 detention order passed by the Sambhal District Magistrate, finding that the authorities had failed to consider relevant material before depriving the detenue of his liberty. The court also held that a confessional statement relied upon by the authorities could not, by itself, justify preventive detention.
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