Supreme Court Questions Magistrate's Student Notice

The Supreme Court on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, questioned how a Greater Noida Executive Magistrate could issue a notice to a student regarding his alleged involvement in protests, despite a prior court order prohibiting coercive action. Chief Justice of India Surya Kant expressed strong disapproval, asking how a magistrate could dare to issue such a notice when the top court had explicitly directed that no penal action should be taken against students involved in the demonstrations. The matter was brought before a bench by Senior Advocate Bishwajit Bhattacharyya, who stated that the notice was issued to Akshat Tripathi, a second-year student at Gautam Buddha University, based on a police report. The police had alleged that Tripathi was encouraging students to join a proposed protest and was spreading anti-government rhetoric. The notice, issued on September 4, 2026, required Tripathi to explain why he should not be compelled to furnish a personal bond of Rs 5 lakh, along with two sureties of Rs 5 lakh each, to maintain peace.