Noida workers’ protest: HC quashes NSA detention of 25-year-old activist

The Allahabad High Court quashed the detention under the National Security Act of a 25-year-old Delhi University graduate who has been in jail for nearly five months in connection with the workers’ protest in Noida in April, reported Bar and Bench on Wednesday.

The Act allows for long periods of detention without trial up to a year.

On Tuesday, a bench of Justices Atul Sreedharan and Achal Sachdev held that Aakriti Chaudhary was detained based on a “concocted story” by the Uttar Pradesh government, reported Live Law.

The bench also directed the Noida authorities to pay a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to Chaudhary, Bar and Bench quoted advocate Charlie Prakash as saying.

Chaudhary will remain in jail as she is yet to secure bail in other cases registered in connection with the protests, reported the legal news outlet.

On April 13, about 40,000 to 45,000 workers from several industrial units had gathered in parts of the city to press long-standing demands that their salaries be increased. The protests came amid increasing gas prices because of the supply disruption caused by the war in West Asia.

The demonstration had turned violent, with videos widely shared on social media showing some protesters throwing stones and vandalising property.

On April 14, more than 350 persons had been arrested in connection with the violence.

A month later, the Uttar Pradesh police booked Chaudhary and 60-year-old Satya Verma...

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