Allahabad High Court rebukes Uttar Pradesh's use of Goonda Act against Zahid Ali

The Allahabad High Court, sitting in Lucknow, overturned an order by the Gonda district magistrate that had declared Zahid Ali a goonda and expelled him from the district for six months. Justice Subhash Vidyarthi warned that the Goonda Act is a strong statute that must be invoked sparingly and only when it clearly serves public order. The court highlighted that Ali had been acquitted of a 2010 charge by the Chief Judicial Magistrate, making that case unsuitable for a goonda declaration.

It also pointed out a six-year gap between a 2020 criminal case and the 2026 order, finding no logical link. The magistrate’s reliance on a beat one outlet's report was dismissed as it lacked a formal criminal case and denied Ali a hearing, violating natural justice. The appellate order by the divisional commissioner upholding the magistrate’s decision was similarly set aside. The high court thus cleared Ali’s petition and emphasized the need for careful discretion in applying the law.