High Court Quashes NSA Detention Awards Compensation

The Allahabad High Court has quashed the detention of Delhi University student and activist Akriti Chaudhary under the National Security Act (NSA), strongly reprimanding the Noida District Magistrate for the manner in which the order was issued. A division bench of Justices Atul Sreedharan and Achal Sachdev also awarded Rs 5 lakh in compensation to Chaudhary, directing that the amount be recovered from the salaries of Gautam Buddha Nagar District Magistrate Medha Roopam and other responsible officers. The court found that Chaudhary's continued incarceration under the NSA infringed her fundamental right to life and personal liberty, stating that the detention order and grounds for incarceration were devoid of material evidence and passed without proper application of mind. The bench was particularly critical of District Magistrate Roopam's conduct, describing her actions as "worthy of derision" and noting that the police report contained allegations without credible supporting material. The court emphasized that a District Magistrate must thoroughly examine records before invoking the stringent provisions of the NSA.