Prayagraj, September 4 (TNA) The Allahabad High Court has declared the detention of Delhi University student and social activist Aakriti Chaudhary under the National Security Act (NSA) in connection with the April labour movement in the Noida-Greater Noida region as illegal and quashed it.
The court directed her immediate release, saying she is not wanted in any other case. Additionally, it ordered compensation of five lakh rupees. The court will pay this amount from the salary of the District Magistrate of Gautam Buddh Nagar. The bench comprising Justice Atul Sridharan and Justice Achal Sachdev issued this order on Aakriti's habeas corpus petition.
The court had asked the central and state governments on Monday to present the basis for detaining Aakriti under NSA, along with available evidence and documents in support of the police action. After examining the material provided, the bench found that sufficient grounds and evidence to justify the detention had not been presented.
The court had also inquired from the government whether any notice regarding the apprehension of breach of peace was served to Aakriti before registering the FIR. Additionally, material related to videos and WhatsApp chats inciting workers was also sought. The police alleged that on April 13, during the ongoing labour movement demanding wage hikes, Aakriti attempted to incite the workers.
This was followed by violence and arson, affecting public order. However, sufficient evidence in support of these allegations could not be presented in the High Court. Deeming the detention illegal, the court quashed it and also directed payment of compensation.