New Delhi: The Uttar Pradesh government will challenge the Allahabad High Court order that quashed the National Security Act (NSA) detention of Delhi University student and activist Akriti Chaudhary, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the Supreme Court on Wednesday.
The development comes days after the Allahabad High Court issued a strongly worded order criticising the manner in which the NSA was invoked against Chaudhary in connection with the Noida workers’ protest and passing adverse observations against Gautam Buddha Nagar District Magistrate Medha Roopam, an IAS officer of 2014 batch.
The High Court had not only quashed Chaudhary’s preventive detention but also ordered ₹5 lakh compensation, directing that the amount be recovered from the salaries of officials found responsible, including the district magistrate and officers down to the Station House Officer (SHO).
Tushar Mehta Informs Supreme Court of UP’s Challenge
During Wednesday’s proceedings before the Supreme Court, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the bench that the authorities would challenge the Allahabad High Court’s order.
The development effectively moves the dispute over Chaudhary’s detention and the High Court’s observations against the administration to the apex court.
The Supreme Court proceedings will now assume significance not only for the validity of the NSA detention but also for the High Court’s directions concerning compensation and responsibility of the officials involved.
Allahabad HC Quashed NSA Detention
The Allahabad High Court had quashed Chaudhary’s detention under the NSA after examining the material relied upon by the authorities.
A division bench of Justice Atul Sreedharan and Justice Achal Sachdev found that the detention order and the grounds supplied for it lacked adequate material and reflected a failure to properly apply the law. The court held that her continued detention under the NSA violated her fundamental right to life and personal liberty under Article 21.
The court described the state’s case as a “concocted story” and sharply questioned the basis on which the stringent preventive detention law had been invoked.
The High Court also warned that continued “despotic” conduct by what it described as errant bureaucracy could reduce Uttar Pradesh to an “Orwellian Dystopia.”
HC Criticises Noida DM Medha Roopam
The court was particularly critical of Gautam Buddha Nagar District Magistrate Medha Roopam, who had passed the NSA detention order.
The High Court held that the conduct of the officials involved warranted serious judicial scrutiny and directed that its “displeasure” be recorded in the service records of the officials concerned.
The court also said that Roopam was “guilty of violating her oath of allegiance”, making the case fit for an award of compensation to the petitioner.
The court stressed that civil servants and police officers wield significant powers because they are entrusted with protecting the constitutional rights, dignity and welfare of citizens.
It further observed that the allegiance of public servants must remain to the Constitution, rather than to the political executive.
₹5 Lakh Compensation Ordered
The Allahabad High Court ordered ₹5 lakh compensation for Chaudhary over her detention.
Importantly, the court directed that the amount be recovered from the salaries of the officials responsible for the detention, extending from the SHO who prepared the initial report to the district magistrate.
The order followed the court’s finding that the NSA detention was not supported by sufficient material and that Chaudhary’s continued incarceration amounted to a violation of her constitutional rights.
Who Is Akriti Chaudhary?
Akriti Chaudhary is a Delhi University student and activist who was arrested in connection with the April 2026 Noida workers’ protest concerning demands linked to minimum wages.
The Uttar Pradesh government subsequently invoked the NSA against her on May 13, 2026. She had remained in custody for around five months while challenging the preventive detention.
The High Court ultimately quashed the NSA detention and ordered her release, subject to there being no other case requiring her continued custody.
NSA Order Quashed, But Other FIRs Remain
The quashing of the NSA detention does not automatically end all the criminal proceedings against Chaudhary.
She has been named in 11 FIRs connected with the Noida workers’ protest, according to reports. The High Court’s order concerned her detention under the National Security Act; her custody in connection with other criminal cases therefore remains a separate legal issue.
The High Court had also earlier sought video evidence from the Uttar Pradesh government to establish whether Chaudhary had instigated protesters to indulge in stone-pelting or set vehicles on fire during the protest.
Supreme Court Challenge Now Ahead
With the Uttar Pradesh government deciding to challenge the High Court’s order, the Supreme Court will now have an opportunity to examine the legal questions surrounding Chaudhary’s NSA detention and the consequential directions issued against the officials.
The challenge also comes at a time when the Allahabad High Court’s observations have triggered wider discussion over the limits of administrative power and the safeguards applicable when preventive detention laws are invoked.
The Supreme Court’s consideration of the matter will therefore be closely watched, particularly in relation to the High Court’s findings on the detention order, the ₹5 lakh compensation and the directions concerning the officials responsible.
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