The Supreme Court quashed Mulla Afroz’s detention under the National Security Act on Tuesday. Afroz was accused of inciting the 2024 Sambhal violence. His brother Shahroz welcomed the verdict, saying, "Our hearts are happy after a long time." The court also imposed a Rs 10 lakh cost on the government.

The brother of Mulla Afroz, accused of inciting the Sambhal violence in 2024 and jailed for 20 months, has welcomed the Supreme Court quashing his detention under the National Security Act and asked for an impartial investigation.

"The Supreme Court has given a very good decision. Our hearts are happy after a long time... we have got some relief," Shahroz told reporters after the Supreme Court verdict on Tuesday.

Four people were killed and dozens injured in clashes between protesting locals and security personnel on November 24, 2024, during a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal.

Besides quashing Afroz's preventive detention under the NSA, the Supreme Court imposed a cost of Rs 10 lakh on the Uttar Pradesh government, holding that a confession allegedly made before police could not, by itself and in the absence of independent supporting material, form the basis for preventive detention.

Afroz was arrested on January 17, 2025 and the NSA detention order passed against him on October 13, 2025, according to court records. The Allahabad High Court upheld his NSA detention in June 2026, but the Supreme Court has set aside that decision.

For his elder brother, the news has come as a huge breather.

He said there was no electronic evidence or audio-video recording against Afroz. He added that Afroz had secured bail in all six criminal cases related to the incident and now also received relief from the Supreme Court in the NSA matter.

"My appeal to the government, administration and the chief minister is that an impartial investigation should be conducted so that it can be established who is guilty and who is not," Shahroz said.

He said no evidence, including electronic evidence or audio-video recording, had been found against his brother.

He said Afroz was arrested around 50-55 days after the November 24, 2024 violence and alleged that several cases were subsequently registered against him.

"He is an innocent person... he was earning a livelihood and educating his children. There was no such case against him, but he was suddenly picked up and cases were registered against him," Shahroz said.

The apex court also observed that Afroz had already suffered considerable loss of liberty despite being granted bail in the criminal cases related to the incident.