India News | SC Agrees to Hear Plea Challenging Validity of UP Gangsters Act

New Delhi, Nov 29 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear a plea challenging the constitutional validity of certain provisions of the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act, 1986.

A bench of Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan issued notice to the UP government seeking its response to the plea.

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Senior advocate R Basant, appearing for the petitioners, said the matter required the apex court's consideration.

The plea, filed through advocate Manish Kumar Gupta, challenges certain provisions of the Act, including those related to attachment of property and penalty.

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It said though the two petitioners were booked under the provisions of the 1986 Act, neither a chargesheet was filed, nor the trial had begun.

The petition claimed that provisions of the 1986 Act were being used as a "weapon to wreak vengeance, harass and intimidate the petitioners to settle scores of family disputes", even as the law merely concerned the activities of gangsters.

"The provisions of the UP Gangster Act, 1986, are preventive in nature and cannot be allowed to be used as punitive," it stated.

The plea further sought quashing of the FIR registered in Lucknow, booking the petitioners under the provisions of the Act.

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