Overcoming data hurdles, this investigation in Karnataka shows that the UAPA functions less as a narrowly defined security law and more as a mechanism of prolonged incarceration: most accused were booked during BJP rule, over 84% were Muslim, charges were frequently dropped before trial, and acquittals vastly outnumbered convictions. The study demonstrates how the law’s vagueness enables arrests for offences that are not clearly defined, allowing the law to be used as a narrative management system.
