The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a petition challenging an order of the Allahabad High Court. The order dismissed an application seeking quashing of a charge sheet and proceedings in a case lodged under the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act, 1986. A bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Sanjay Kumar sought response from the Uttar Pradesh government on a plea filed by petitioner Raj Khan, against whom an FIR was lodged.

It alleged that the FIR under the UP Gangsters Act has been registered merely on the basis of an earlier FIR, which was in total abuse of process of law. The plea said the petitioner has no criminal antecedents other than the alleged case and invoking the Gangsters Act against him was not only causing prejudice to him but would lead to “serious misuse of the police and judicial machinery purely for personal vendetta”. The plea has urged the apex court to quash the charge sheet and entire proceedings of the case.