Allahabad High Court quashes NSA detention of DU grad over Noida workers’ protest

On Wednesday, the Allahabad High Court dismissed the National Security Act (NSA) detention of Aakriti Chaudhary, a 25-year-old history graduate from Delhi University. The court's decision was made by Justice Atul Sreedharan and Justice Achal Sachdev. Chaudhary, originally from Durgapur in West Bengal, was arrested on April 11 in Noida's Botanical Garden Metro station.

She was initially charged with disturbing the peace and public disorder under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and later faced additional charges of organizing the protest, attempted murder, intent to cause death or grievous harm, endangering life or personal safety, and criminal conspiracy.

The National Security Act is a stringent law that allows for detention without trial in cases involving national security. The police had claimed that Chaudhary and other activists were active members of the Mazdoor Bigul Dasta and played a significant role in the violence, arson, and disorder during the protest. However, the Allahabad High Court dismissed these allegations, ruling that there was insufficient evidence to justify Chaudhary's detention under the NSA. Chaudhary's family remains uncertain about the next steps in their legal battle.