NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday imposed a cost of Rs 10 lakh on the Uttar Pradesh government, holding that a confession statement by an accused cannot, by itself, form the basis for his detention under the National Security Act (NSA).Uttar Pradesh Police had invoked the NSA against Mulla Afroz in October 2025 over his alleged involvement in the 2024 communal violence in Sambhal.A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Sheel Nagu delivered the judgment while quashing Afroz’s preventive detention.

The NSA empowers the Centre and state governments to detain individuals to prevent them from acting in a manner deemed “prejudicial to the defence of India”.

Detention can be ordered for up to 12 months, although it can be revoked earlier.Tensions escalated in Sambhal in November 2024 during a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid, following claims that a Harihar temple had previously stood at the site.On November 24, during the second round of the survey, protesters clashed with security personnel. The violence left four people dead and dozens injured.