Advisory board to oversee one‑year preventive custody under West Bengal 2026 act

A central feature of the West Bengal Public Security and Anti‑Social Activities Control Bill, 2026 is the creation of an advisory board tasked with reviewing preventive detention requests. The board will consist of a sitting or former Calcutta High Court judge and two additional members qualified for High Court appointments.

Its mandate includes evaluating whether a person poses a genuine risk to public safety and granting the detained individual the right to be represented before the board. If the board finds the detention justified, the individual may be held for up to twelve months without a conventional trial.

The law also furnishes police with the power to exclude anyone suspected of inciting disorder from particular zones, offering legal cover for officers who act under the bill’s provisions.