Patna High Court Quashes Banka ‘Anti-Social Element’ Order

Brief By Newsbrief / 7:12 PM on 29 Sep 2026

The Patna High Court has quashed an order by the Banka District Magistrate declaring Girdhari Yadav an ‘anti-social element’ under the Bihar Crime Control Act, 2024. A bench of Justices Rajiv Ranjan Prasad and Sunil Dutta Mishra said a police ‘Sanha’ or station diary entry alone could not justify restricting fundamental rights. The court found the action was based on vague allegations and directed the state government to pay Yadav ₹1 lakh as compensation and ₹10,000 towards legal costs. The court ordered that the amount be recovered from officials. Yadav had been directed to remain at Barahat police station, around 40 kilometres from his residence, from 10 am to 5 pm until completion of the election process. The court termed the action an infringement of his right to life and personal liberty under Article 21 and directed prompt payment within one month.