Prayagraj : Allahabad high court on Wednesday quashed the detention of a 25-year-old Delhi University history graduate, who was taken into custody under stringent National Security Act in connection with the Noida workers’ protest in April 2026.
During the hearing, govt informed the court that Chaudhary had been arrested at 10:56 am on April 12, 2026, and that a notice was issued to her as per law. Allowing the habeas corpus petition, a division bench of Justice Atul Sreedharan and Justice Achal Sachdev found that the detention of Akriti Chaudhari was based on a ‘concocted’ story by the police. However, the court observed that proper notice was not served as per law and questioned the state’s version based on the general diary (GD) entry.
It noted that the record appeared to show that Chaudhary had already been arrested before the notice was prepared.
The court also directed the payment of Rs 5 lakh as compensation to Chaudhary. The court directed her immediate release if arrest was not warranted in any other case. However, sources say Chaudhary will continue to remain in custody, as she is yet to secure bail in various cases registered in connection with the protest. The development came after the court examined the sequence of her arrest and the issuance of notices under Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and found several procedural lapses. The detailed order is awaited.