People say the mass booking is an attempt to harass the Muslim community under the pretext of maintaining law and order
Team Clarion
MALIKPUR — A small Muslim-majority village in Uttar Pradesh has become the centre of controversy after local police booked 137 individuals under the Goonda Act, despite the village consisting of only 72 houses. Residents of Malikpur, located near Ayodhya, have accused authorities of blatant discrimination, claiming that innocent people—including the elderly, disabled, and even those residing abroad—are being unfairly targeted.
According to villagers, the mass booking is an attempt to harass the Muslim community under the pretext of maintaining law and order. They argue that many of the accused have no criminal record and have been included in the list without any specific charges. “My brother has been working in Saudi Arabia for the past 10 years, yet the Goonda Act has been imposed on him. What kind of justice is this?” questioned a local resident whose family member was named in the case.
The Goonda Act, originally enacted in 1970 to control anti-social elements, grants authorities the power to detain individuals deemed a threat to public order without requiring concrete evidence. However, activists and local leaders argue that in recent years, the law has been disproportionately used to target Muslims.
One elderly man, who has been named in the police list, expressed his disbelief at the allegations against him. “I am 75 years old, unable to walk, and rarely step out of my house. Yet, I am being treated as a threat under this law. This is nothing but an abuse of power,” he lamented.
Villagers have accused the police of deliberate bigotry, pointing out that such mass arrests are rarely seen in non-Muslim communities. “This is not about crime control; it’s about silencing and intimidating Muslims,” said a local activist. “If the law were applied fairly, why do we not see similar actions in Hindu-majority villages?”
Local officials, however, maintain that the move is aimed at preventing crime and maintaining peace. “These individuals have been identified as threats to law and order. The action is not communal but based on intelligence reports,” a police spokesperson stated.
Despite these claims, human rights organisations have expressed serious concerns about the misuse of the law. Legal experts argue that the lack of judicial oversight allows for arbitrary detentions. “The Goonda Act is meant to tackle organised crime, not to punish entire communities without due process,” said a senior advocate based in Lucknow.
The incident in Malikpur is not an isolated case. Over the years, several reports have emerged of authorities using stringent laws, such as the National Security Act (NSA) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), disproportionately against Muslims. Critics argue that this pattern reflects a broader trend of institutional bias.
As the affected families prepare to challenge the charges legally, the issue has sparked a wave of condemnation from political and social groups. Calls for an independent investigation are growing, with activists urging the judiciary to intervene and put an end to the alleged abuse of power.
For now, the people of Malikpur remain in distress, fearing that their voices will go unheard in a system they believe is stacked against them. “We demand justice, not persecution,” said a resident. “The government must stop treating us like criminals just because of our identity.”