PRAYAGRAJ, Aug. 31 -- Observing that police cannot exercise 'unbridled' and 'uncanalised' power in opening history sheets against someone merely on the basis of their likes or dislikes, the Allahabad High Court added that there must be cogent and reliable material to form a reasonable suspicion to open the record.

Allowing a writ petition filed by one Mohammad Wajir, a division bench comprising Justice Siddharth and Justice Santosh Rai quashed a June 2025 order of the superintendent of police of Siddharthnagar, rejecting the petitioner's application for closure of his history sheet.

"Police do not possess a licence to enter the names of whoever they like or dislike in the surveillance register," the court added.

The petitioner has only...