The Uttar Pradesh government will approach the Supreme Court against the Allahabad High Court order in the Noida labour protest case. The case involves student Akriti Chaudhary’s detention under the National Security Act (NSA). The High Court cancelled Akriti’s detention and called the action arbitrary. It also ordered ₹5 lakh compensation for Akriti. The court directed recovery of this amount from Gautam Buddh Nagar DM Medha Rupam and other responsible officials’ salaries.
On Wednesday, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the bench led by the Chief Justice about the government’s planned appeal.
What Is The Noida Labour Protest Case?
In April 2026, police arrested 25-year-old Akriti Chaudhary during a workers’ protest in Noida. The protest focused on workers’ rights and demands for higher wages.
Later, the district administration accused Akriti of encouraging violence. Following this allegation, authorities imposed NSA provisions against her.
Akriti challenged the action before the Allahabad High Court. During the hearing, the court observed that authorities lacked strong evidence against her.
The court noted that the administration applied NSA without solid proof like WhatsApp chats or videos showing incitement.
High Court Cites Right To Peaceful Protest
A bench of Justice Atul Sridharan and Justice Achal Sachdev said citizens have a constitutional right to protest peacefully. The court cancelled Akriti’s detention after examining the case details.
Furthermore, the High Court ordered ₹5 lakh compensation for Akriti. It instructed officials to recover the amount from the DM and other responsible officers’ salaries.
UP Government Explains Its Position
The Uttar Pradesh government argued that maintaining public order during protests remains the administration’s responsibility. According to the government, the DM considered police reports and ground conditions before applying NSA. The government accepted that the High Court could question the detention decision. It argued that recovering money from officers’ salaries was not justified.
Now, the Supreme Court will examine the Uttar Pradesh government’s challenge against the High Court order.
