Allahabad HC Quashes NSA Detention of Noida Protester

The Allahabad High Court has delivered a strong rebuke to the Uttar Pradesh government by quashing the National Security Act detention of 25-year-old Delhi University history graduate Akriti Chaudhary in connection with the Noida workers’ protests. The court described the government’s case as a “concocted story” and directed that Chaudhary be released immediately if she was not required in any other case. The court also ordered the state to pay her Rs 5 lakh as compensation.

The case relates to violent protests by around 40,000 factory workers in Noida in April, who were demanding higher wages and better working conditions. The demonstrations later witnessed incidents including arson and stone-pelting at police personnel. Uttar Pradesh Police alleged that Chaudhary had instigated the violence and invoked the NSA against her on May 13. However, during the habeas corpus proceedings, the government failed to produce video evidence showing that she had incited the protesters. The bench of Justice Atul Sridharan and Justice Achal Sachdev also noted serious procedural lapses under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita. General Diary entries reportedly indicated that Chaudhary was arrested even before the relevant notice had been prepared. Since she had already spent nearly five months in custody, the court refused to give the government additional time to produce the alleged video evidence.

The ruling also carries a wider message about preventive detention. The NSA gives authorities exceptional powers, but those powers cannot substitute for properly established evidence or due process. By directing that the compensation be recovered from the salaries of the officials responsible, the court has gone beyond merely cancelling the detention and placed personal accountability at the centre of its order. The decision is therefore significant not only for Chaudhary but also for how preventive detention powers are exercised during large-scale protests.