Uttar Pradesh government seems determined to use Goonda Act as tool of harassment: Allahabad High Court

The Allahabad High Court has come down heavily on the Uttar Pradesh government over alleged misuse of the Goonda Act in the State, observing that cases coming before it indicate that the state government appears determined to use the stringent law as a tool of harassment.

A Lucknow Bench of Justice Subhash Vidyarthi 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 a person named Zahid Ali a "goonda" and externing him from the district for six months.