(1) IN each one of these three petitions, challenge to the constitutional validity of the U.P. Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act, 1986 has been made by the petitioners, who were booked under the said Act besides certain other offences under the Indian Penal Code in pursuance of different FIRs registered against them.

(2) A Full Bench of the Allahabad High Court in Ashok Kumar Dixit v. State of U.P. upheld the constitutional validity of that Act. A special leave petition, being SLP (C) No. 10766 of 1987 stands dismissed by this Court on 5-5-1997.

(3) WE had started hearing arguments in the writ petitions when the matters remained part-heard. We have now been informed that Subhash Yadav, petitioner in Writ Petition (Crl.) No. 317 of 1987 was discharged by the trial court as early as on 3-4-1990 while Amar Mani Tripathi, petitioner in Writ Petition (Crl.) No. 407 of 1987 was acquitted by the trial court on 20-5-1992. Learned counsel for Jitender, petitioner in Writ Petition (Crl.) No. 562 of 1987 submits that despite numerous attempts made to contact the petitioner and find out about the position of the criminal case against him, there is no r