Supreme Court Invalidates Preventive Detention of Law Student Under NSA
Supreme Court Invalidates Preventive Detention of Law Student Under NSA By Abhishek Jat, Advocate The appellant, a law student, was subjected to preventive detention under Section 3(2) of the National Security Act, 1980 (NSA) by the District Magistrate, Betul, Madhya Pradesh, through an order dated 11 July 2024. This order was subsequently extended four times, with the final extension valid until 12 July 2025. The detention was premised on the appellant’s alleged involvement in nine criminal matters, including the current case. Out of the previous eight cases, the appellant had been acquitted in five, convicted with only a fine in one, and was on bail in two pending matters. In the present case (Crime No. 236 of 2024), bail was granted on 28 January 2025, but the appellant remained incarcerated solely due to the preventive detention order. Legal Issues and Arguments Scope of Section 3(2) of NSA: Section 3(2) empowers the government to detain individuals to prevent acts prejudicial to t...