Allahabad High Court Quashes NSA Detention of DU Student Over Noida Protests

The Allahabad High Court has quashed the detention of Aakriti Chaudhary, a 25 year old Delhi University graduate, who was held under the National Security Act (NSA) in connection with workers' protests in Noida. A bench consisting of Justices Atul Sreedharan and Achal Sachdev stated that the detention was based on a story that was concocted by the state. The court directed her immediate release if her arrest was not warranted in any other case; however, reports indicate she remains in jail pending bail in other cases related to the protests.

Chaudhary was among more than 350 people arrested following protests on April 13, where thousands of workers gathered to demand salary increases. The state alleged that Chaudhary and Satya Verma, members of the Mazdoor Bigul Dasta organization, instigated violence, arson, and stone pelting. During the proceedings, the court noted several lapses in the arrest process, including the failure to serve a proper notice under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) before her arrest. The bench also declined to grant the state additional time to produce videographic evidence of the alleged instigation.

One source reports that the court ordered Noida authorities to pay 5 lakh rupees in compensation to Chaudhary. While the state denied allegations of police brutality during the protests, including claims that a video of police assaulting women was morphed, other reporting claims that geolocation analysis confirmed the footage was from Noida.

Outlets with different political leanings framed the event differently. Center and center right sources focused on the legal lapses and the court's finding that the state's narrative was concocted. The left leaning source framed the event as the detention of an activist and provided extensive context regarding the workers' demands and alleged police violence.