The Supreme Court has quashed the preventive detention of Mulla Afroz under the National Security Act in connection with the Sambhal violence case, and imposed costs of Rs 10 lakh on the Uttar Pradesh government. The bench found the detention order unsustainable and pulled up the authorities for the manner in which the stringent law had been invoked.

The NSA allows detention without trial for up to a year on grounds of national security or public order, and its use has frequently been questioned by courts. The ruling underscores the judiciary’s insistence that preventive detention powers must be exercised with strict adherence to procedural safeguards.

The court directed the state to pay the costs, signalling strong disapproval of the detention. The order is significant as it adds to a growing body of judgments in which the Supreme Court and high courts have struck down preventive detention orders found to be mechanical or lacking application of mind. Legal experts said the verdict would serve as a reminder to state governments to use the NSA sparingly and only in genuine cases.