Allahabad High Court Quashes Goonda Order, Flags UP Government Use of Goondas Act

The Allahabad High Court quashed an order declaring Zahid Ali a 'goonda' under the UP Control of Goondas Act, 1970, citing misuse by the state government. Justice Subhash Vidyarthi noted that the Act should be applied sparingly and only in clear cases involving public disorder. The court criticized the UP government for using the law as a tool of oppression despite judicial warnings. It highlighted that Ali had been acquitted in one of the cited cases, and the six-year gap between the incident and the order showed no reasonable connection. The court also questioned the police for omitting Ali's acquittal during proceedings, suggesting deliberate misrepresentation.