Noida Protest: Court Quashes NSA Detention of DU Student Akriti Chaudhary
In April, as rising global oil prices and the Israel-Iran conflict stoked economic uncertainty, thousands of workers in Noida, part of the National Capital Region, took to the streets to demand higher minimum wages. Their protest was part of a broader wave of labour unrest in the area, following wage hikes secured by workers in neighbouring Haryana. Initially peaceful, the demonstrations turned violent on April 13, with vehicles being set on fire and police using tear gas to disperse crowds.
The Uttar Pradesh government responded by approving a roughly 21% increase in minimum wages by April 18. Yet, the administrative response also included a wide-ranging crackdown. Noida police filed an FIR, and over 300 people linked to the protests were reportedly arrested in the weeks that followed. Among them was Akriti Chaudhary, a 25-year-old law student at Delhi University and a postgraduate in history. She was associated with the Progressive Artists' League and wrote for Mazdoor Bigul, a publication focused on workers' rights.
Police claimed that Chaudhary instigated workers toward violent protest and cited electronic and video evidence. They also alleged foreign funding involving her and Satyam Verma, a self-identified journalist. Chaudhary was arrested on April 11, before the major violence of April 13. On May 13, the Uttar Pradesh Police invoked the National Security Act (NSA), 1980, against both Chaudhary and Verma. The NSA is a preventive detention law that permits detention without trial if authorities deem a person a threat to public order or national security, making it a far more serious measure than ordinary criminal charges.
Chaudhary's bail applications were repeatedly rejected by a sessions court in Surajpur. She then approached the Supreme Court, which directed her to the Allahabad High Court. There, she challenged the detention order issued by the Noida district magistrate. Her petition pointed to the timeline: she had been in custody since April 11, but the main violence occurred on April 13, raising the question of how she could have personally incited events that took place after her arrest. She also argued that the allegations were vague and unsupported by evidence.
After nearly five months in custody, a Bench of Justices Atul Sreedharan and Achal Sachdev heard her habeas corpus petition. The court examined the sequence of events and the legal procedure followed by authorities. Among the issues considered was whether a show-cause notice under Section 126 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) was properly issued. The Bench found merit in Chaudhary's arguments and quashed the detention order, releasing her from custody.
The decision has drawn attention to the use of the NSA in labour disputes. Legal experts note that preventive detention laws are intended for exceptional circumstances and must be applied with strict procedural safeguards. The court's ruling underscores the importance of judicial review in holding authorities accountable to constitutional standards. For workers in Noida and beyond, the case highlights the delicate balance between maintaining public order and protecting the rights to protest and fair trial.
