UP govt misusing Goonda Act for harassment: Allahabad HC
The Allahabad High Court has strongly criticized the Uttar Pradesh government for allegedly misusing the stringent Goonda Act as a tool of harassment. The court quashed an order against an individual, highlighting that a previous acquittal and a significant time gap between cases cannot be grounds for declaring someone a "goonda." It emphasized that the powerful law must be invoked with great caution and only in clear cases.
Why it matters
This ruling underscores the importance of judicial oversight in protecting individual liberties against potential state overreach and ensures that powerful laws are applied judiciously, preventing their arbitrary use for harassment.
LUCKNOW: The Allahabad high court has strongly criticised the alleged misuse of the Goonda Act in Uttar Pradesh, saying cases before it suggest the state govt appears determined to use the stringent law as a tool of harassment.Justice Subhash Vidyarthi of the Lucknow bench said the Goonda Act is a “very powerful” legislation and must be invoked with great caution, only in clear cases and for maintaining public order. The court made the observations while quashing the order of the Gonda district magistrate declaring Zahid Ali a “goonda” and externing him from the district for six months.The court also set aside the appellate order passed by the divisional commissioner upholding the DM’s decision.The Gonda DM had on May 11, 2026 passed the order under Section 3(1) of the Goonda Act, relying on two criminal cases and a beat information report.
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