Delhi University student freed after NSA order quashed in protest case

A Delhi University student who was arrested under the stringent National Security Act (NSA) in connection with a violent workers' protest in Noida has been released after the NSA order against her was quashed. Akriti Chaudhary's continued detention following the quashing of the NSA order stemmed from separate criminal cases registered against her related to the April violence, authorities said.

The incident began when a workers' protest in Noida escalated into violence, prompting law enforcement to take action against participants. Chaudhary was among those arrested and faced charges under the NSA, a preventive detention law typically invoked in cases involving threats to national security or public order.

While the judicial intervention led to the cancellation of the NSA order, Chaudhary faced an additional hurdle as multiple criminal cases linked to the violence remained pending against her. She subsequently secured bail in the criminal proceedings, enabling her release from custody.

The case highlights the distinction between preventive detention laws and regular criminal proceedings. While the NSA order was deemed unjustified by the courts, the underlying criminal charges provided grounds for her continued detention until bail was granted.