Behind bail denial to Noida protesters: NSA invoked, book, articles cited

In the Noida labour protests, authorities denied bail to five activists, including a former journalist and a young woman pursuing further studies. The National Security Act (NSA), which permits detention without trial for up to a year, was invoked against Satyam Verma, a 60-year-old former journalist, and Aakriti Chaudhary, a 25-year-old Delhi University graduate. Both were accused of masterminding the protests and promoting a violent ideology.

Verma and Chaudhary's lawyers argued that the accused had no criminal history and that their participation in protests was protected under constitutionally guaranteed rights. Despite this, lower courts cited WhatsApp group communications, books recovered from their possession, and the alleged involvement of co-accused in violent acts as evidence of their guilt. Verma's plea challenging the NSA detention is currently pending before the Supreme Court, while Chaudhary's legal challenge is before the Allahabad High Court.