The Allahabad High Court has strongly criticized and overturned the detention of 24-year-old activist Akriti Chaudhary under the National Security Act (NSA) for her involvement in a labourers' protest. The court found the detention order, issued by the Gautam Buddha Nagar District Magistrate, to be a violation of Chaudhary's fundamental right to life under Article 21. Awarding ₹5 lakh in compensation to Chaudhary, the court ordered that the amount be recovered from the salaries of the District Magistrate and other officials involved. Judges voiced serious concerns, suggesting that such actions could lead Uttar Pradesh towards becoming an 'Orwellian Dystopia' characterized by excessive government control and surveillance. The court highlighted significant discrepancies in the police's account of Chaudhary's arrest, including the timing and the lack of concrete evidence, suggesting the detention was based on unsubstantiated allegations.

The Allahabad High Court has strongly criticized and overturned the detention of 24-year-old activist Akriti Chaudhary under the National Security Act (NSA) for her involvement in a labourers' protest. The court found the detention order, issued by the Gautam Buddha Nagar District Magistrate, to be a violation of Chaudhary's fundamental right to life under Article 21. Awarding ₹5 lakh in compensation to Chaudhary, the court ordered that the amount be recovered from the salaries of the District Magistrate and other officials involved. Judges voiced serious concerns, suggesting that such actions could lead Uttar Pradesh towards becoming an 'Orwellian Dystopia' characterized by excessive government control and surveillance. The court highlighted significant discrepancies in the police's account of Chaudhary's arrest, including the timing and the lack of concrete evidence, suggesting the detention was based on unsubstantiated allegations.

The Allahabad High Court has strongly criticized and overturned the detention of 24-year-old activist Akriti Chaudhary under the National Security Act (NSA) for her involvement in a labourers' protest. The court found the detention order, issued by the Gautam Buddha Nagar District Magistrate, to be a violation of Chaudhary's fundamental right to life under Article 21. Awarding ₹5 lakh in compensation to Chaudhary, the court ordered that the amount be recovered from the salaries of the District Magistrate and other officials involved. Judges voiced serious concerns, suggesting that such actions could lead Uttar Pradesh towards becoming an 'Orwellian Dystopia' characterized by excessive government control and surveillance. The court highlighted significant discrepancies in the police's account of Chaudhary's arrest, including the timing and the lack of concrete evidence, suggesting the detention was based on unsubstantiated allegations.

The Allahabad High Court has slammed the detention of a 24-year-old Delhi University student and activist, Akriti Chaudhary, under the National Security Act (NSA) for participating in a labourers' protest in Uttar Pradesh. 

A bench of Justice Atul Sreedharan and Justice Achal Sachdev strongly criticised Gautam Buddha Nagar District Magistrate, Medha Roopam, who passed the detention order. The bench held that Chaudhary’s prolonged imprisonment violated her right to live under Article 21. 

The court awarded ₹5 lakh compensation to Chaudhary and ordered that the amount be retrieved from the salaries of the District Magistrate and other officers “right down to the SHO”.

The judges even said that Uttar Pradesh could turn into an “Orwellian Dystopia”, a society that is characterised by severe government control and mass surveillance. 

Chaudhary is a history graduate from Delhi University. During the Noida workers’ protest in April 2026, the Uttar Pradesh Police detained Chaudhary under the National Security Act, 1980, accusing her of instigating violence and participating in stone-pelting. The NSA allows authorities to detain individuals to stop anticipated harmful acts and maintain public order. 

The court found several discrepancies in the police action, including the timing of Chaudhary’s arrest. While the State claimed that she was taken into custody on April 12, Chaudhary maintained that she had been picked up from Noida’s Botanical Garden Metro Station at 5:30 pm on April 11. The court noted that her WhatsApp messages went unanswered from 5:56 pm on April 11, indicating that she was likely already in custody by then. 

Justifying her preventive custody, the state relied on a legal notice issued under Section 130 of the BNSS. However, the notice contained a General Diary entry number that was not generated until April 12. The court pointed out that it was impossible for a notice to be prepared prior to the arrest. 

The court also noted that the timing of Chaudhary’s arrest indicated that she had been taken into custody before the protests turned violent on April 13. It further observed that the police had not presented any substantial evidence at the time of arrest, which appeared to have been based solely on allegations. 

The bench particularly criticised the Gautam Buddha Nagar DM for passing the order without credible supporting material. 

"The conduct of the District Magistrate, Gautam Buddha Nagar, who passed the impugned order, is worthy of derision", the court concluded. 

Chaudhary remains in judicial custody in connection with separate criminal cases, even though the NSA detention order has been quashed, after her bail applications were rejected.