The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court recently dismissed the habeas corpus petitions challenging the detention of two individuals under the National Security Act (NSA). Their detention was related to allegations of disrespecting and burning copies of the Hindu epic Ramcharitmanas.

Justices Narendra Kumar Johri and Sangeeta Johri, presiding as a division bench, issued orders in response to two distinct pleas submitted by Devendra Pratap Yadav, represented by his father, and Suresh Singh Yadav, represented by his wife. These pleas aimed to challenge the detention orders and additionally requested directives to nullify the detention rulings.

In their ruling, the bench acknowledged that the petitioners, along with their associates, had publicly disrespected a religious text revered by the majority of society. This act, carried out openly in broad daylight, understandably caused resentment and anger among the public. The bench particularly noted the current societal context, where almost every individual is linked to mobile phones and social media, amplifying the impact of such actions on public sentiment.

Consequently, the bench concluded that, considering the imminent threat and the circumstances surrounding the incident, the detention of the petitioners by the executive or administration through detention orders couldn't be deemed an unjust or illegal constraint on their personal liberty.

The First Information Report (FIR) in the case was lodged by BJP leader Satnam Singh Lavi under Sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 120-B, 142, 143, 153-A, 295, 295-A, 298, 504, 505(2), and 506. This FIR was lodged on January 29, 2023, at the PGI Police Station in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.

The Lucknow Police had filed charges against 10 identified individuals and multiple unnamed persons for allegedly burning photocopied pages of Ramcharitmanas. This action was purportedly in solidarity with Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya, who, on January 22, asserted that certain verses or sections of the book contained objectionable comments about women and Dalits, as per his claims.

The police utilized the National Security Act (NSA) against the accused individuals Devendra Yadav, Yashpal Singh Lodhi, Satyendra Kushwaha, Mohammad Saleem, and Suresh Yadav. Subsequently, detention orders were issued against them based on the NSA invocation.