Allahabad HC quashes Aakriti Chaudhary’s detention under NSA post Noida workers’ protest
The Allahabad High Court has quashed the detention of Aakriti Chaudhary, who was held under the National Security Act following a workers' protest in Noida. The court cited a lack of evidence and procedural lapses by the State in its handling of the case.
Why it matters
The ruling highlights judicial scrutiny over the use of preventive detention laws and the importance of due process in civil protests.
The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday (August 2, 2026) quashed the detention of Aakriti Chaudhary, a 25-year-old Delhi University history graduate who was taken into custody under the National Security Act in connection with the Noida workers' protest in April 2026.
Allowing Ms. Chaudhary's habeas corpus petition challenging her arrest, a bench of Justices Atul Sreedharan and Achal Sachdev found that the detention was based on a story "concocted" by the State.
The court directed her immediate release if her arrest was not warranted in any other case. It also directed the State to pay her compensation of ₹5,000.
The development came as the bench found several lapses after closely examining the sequence of Chaudhary's arrest and the notices issued to her under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
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