The Crossbill News Desk
The Allahabad High Court has sought responses from the Centre, Uttar Pradesh government and the Gautam Buddh Nagar district magistrate on a habeas corpus petition challenging the preventive detention of Lucknow-based freelance writer and former journalist Satyam Verma under the National Security Act (NSA), 1980. The case relates to his alleged involvement in the Noida workers’ protest in April 2026.
A bench of Justice Atul Sreedharan and Justice Achal Sachdev issued the notices on Wednesday (September 16) and listed the matter for October 7, Live Law reported.
Verma is challenging the detention order issued by the Gautam Buddh Nagar district magistrate on May 12 under Sections 3(2) and 3(3) of the NSA, along with the state government’s approval dated May 20 and the subsequent order of June 10 under Section 12(1).
Through his petition, Verma has sought quashing of the detention and related orders, his immediate release and compensation for what he describes as illegal detention. His counsel has argued that the detention order rests on a “factually impossible” claim that Verma was involved in violence during the Noida protest on April 13.
The petition relies on CCTV footage and Call Detail Records (CDRs), which, it says, place Verma in Lucknow rather than Noida at the relevant time. It further states that he was detained by Hasanganj Police at 2:14 PM that day. Describing the evidence as an “ironclad alibi”, the plea argues that the detention order is founded on “physically impossible and demonstrably false premises” and should therefore be quashed.
The plea also alleges that material relevant to Verma’s location, including CCTV footage and CDRs, was not placed before the detaining authority. It disputes the basis on which his alleged involvement was established and challenges the reliance on statements attributed to a police informant or co-accused.
The petition has further challenged the state’s alleged description of Verma’s professional income as “riot funding”. According to the plea, his earnings over nearly two decades came from his professional work, through formal banking channels, and were declared in income tax returns.
Verma has also argued that the material cited by the authorities, even if accepted at its highest, relates to a localised dispute over minimum wages.
According to Live Law, the petition maintains that such a dispute falls within the realm of “law and order” rather than “public order”, and therefore did not warrant preventive detention under the NSA. It states that the NSA was used to “crush a spontaneous and lawful labour demand”.
The petition further alleges violations of Verma’s fundamental rights and claims that restrictions were placed on his ability to make an effective representation against his detention and prepare for the proceedings before the Advisory Board. It also challenges the manner in which his representation was allegedly handled by the authorities.
Verma has meanwhile relied on the High Court’s recent order in the case of co-detainee Akriti Chaudhary, whose NSA detention arising from the same agitation was quashed.
The court had also directed that Rs 5 lakh in compensation be recovered from the salaries of officials responsible for her detention. Verma’s petition argues that his case should similarly be considered in light of that order.
The latest hearing comes a day after the High Court granted Verma bail in one of the 11 criminal cases registered in connection with the Noida workers’ protest. However, the bail order did not result in his release because he remains in custody in connection with other cases and the separate NSA detention.
The High Court will now consider the responses of the authorities before taking up Verma’s habeas corpus plea on October 7.
A bench of Justice Atul Sreedharan and Justice Achal Sachdev issued the notices on Wednesday (September 16) and listed the matter for October 7, Live Law reported.
Verma is challenging the detention order issued by the Gautam Buddh Nagar district magistrate on May 12 under Sections 3(2) and 3(3) of the NSA, along with the state government’s approval dated May 20 and the subsequent order of June 10 under Section 12(1).
Through his petition, Verma has sought quashing of the detention and related orders, his immediate release and compensation for what he describes as illegal detention. His counsel has argued that the detention order rests on a “factually impossible” claim that Verma was involved in violence during the Noida protest on April 13.
The petition relies on CCTV footage and Call Detail Records (CDRs), which, it says, place Verma in Lucknow rather than Noida at the relevant time. It further states that he was detained by Hasanganj Police at 2:14 PM that day. Describing the evidence as an “ironclad alibi”, the plea argues that the detention order is founded on “physically impossible and demonstrably false premises” and should therefore be quashed.
The plea also alleges that material relevant to Verma’s location, including CCTV footage and CDRs, was not placed before the detaining authority. It disputes the basis on which his alleged involvement was established and challenges the reliance on statements attributed to a police informant or co-accused.
The petition has further challenged the state’s alleged description of Verma’s professional income as “riot funding”. According to the plea, his earnings over nearly two decades came from his professional work, through formal banking channels, and were declared in income tax returns.
Verma has also argued that the material cited by the authorities, even if accepted at its highest, relates to a localised dispute over minimum wages.
According to Live Law, the petition maintains that such a dispute falls within the realm of “law and order” rather than “public order”, and therefore did not warrant preventive detention under the NSA. It states that the NSA was used to “crush a spontaneous and lawful labour demand”.
The petition further alleges violations of Verma’s fundamental rights and claims that restrictions were placed on his ability to make an effective representation against his detention and prepare for the proceedings before the Advisory Board. It also challenges the manner in which his representation was allegedly handled by the authorities.
Verma has meanwhile relied on the High Court’s recent order in the case of co-detainee Akriti Chaudhary, whose NSA detention arising from the same agitation was quashed.
The court had also directed that Rs 5 lakh in compensation be recovered from the salaries of officials responsible for her detention. Verma’s petition argues that his case should similarly be considered in light of that order.
The latest hearing comes a day after the High Court granted Verma bail in one of the 11 criminal cases registered in connection with the Noida workers’ protest. However, the bail order did not result in his release because he remains in custody in connection with other cases and the separate NSA detention.
The High Court will now consider the responses of the authorities before taking up Verma’s habeas corpus plea on October 7.
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