Stinging criticism against Gyanesh's daughter; Rapid moves underway to secure stay on Allahabad HC's verdict

NEW DELHI: Rapid efforts are underway to secure a stay on the Allahabad High Court's verdict, which contained harsh remarks against Medha Roopam —the daughter of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the District Magistrate of Gautam Buddha Nagar (Noida).

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the UP government, informed the Supreme Court yesterday that an appeal would be filed immediately; Medha will also file a separate appeal. On May 3, Medha had ordered the detention of Akriti Chaudhary, a Delhi University student who participated in a workers' protest in Noida, invoking the National Security Act. The High Court had considered a petition filed by Akriti following her preventive detention.

On September 2, a division bench comprising Malayali judge Atul Sreedharan and Justice Achal Sachdev quashed the action with scathing criticism. They observed that the documents should have been meticulously scrutinised before invoking the oppressive provisions of the National Security Act. The police report lacked credible evidence to substantiate the claim that the student had incited violence; there were merely allegations against her.

The District Collector's actions were described as farcical, noting that no deliberation or examination took place before ordering the preventive detention. The student's right to life and personal liberty had been violated. The court emphasised that the allegiance of IAS and IPS officers should be to the Constitution, not to the politicians in power. The High Court warned that such authoritarian conduct by the bureaucracy would plunge Uttar Pradesh into a state of misery. It ordered the payment of Rs 5 lakh as compensation to the student, directing that the amount be recovered from the salaries of the District Collector and other responsible officials.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court criticised the action taken by the Greater Noida SDM in issuing a show-cause notice to Akshat Tripathi, an SFI activist who had participated in the Gen Z protest at Jantar Mantar. Justice Surya Kant questioned how the official dared to issue such a notice when the Court's directive against taking action against students was already in force. Akshat is a student at Gautam Buddha University in Noida. The Supreme Court had previously ordered, on September 1, the quashing of all FIRs registered across the country in connection with the 'Cockroach Janata Party' protest; a petition filed through Advocate K.R. Subhash Chandran states that the official's action violated this order.