Jantar Mantar protest: Police serve show-cause notice to UP student, recall next day
A 20-year-old student of Gautama Buddha University (GBU) was served a notice by the Greater Noida Commissionerate on September 4 for “spreading anti-government propaganda” and “inciting” university students to join the Jantar Mantar protests. The notice was withdrawn the following day. The notice also asked student Akshat Tripathi to show cause why they “should not be bound by a personal bond” of ₹5 lakh.
Deputy Commissioner of Police, Greater Noida, Ravi Shanker confirmed to The Hindu that a notice under Sections 126 and 135 of the Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) had been served on Mr. Tripathi. “These are preventive sections under which the Executive Magistrate normally serves notices on people suspected of causing a breach of the peace after receiving information from the police,” Mr Shanker said. “While a notice was served on Mr. Tripathi, the same was immediately withdrawn on the following day, September 5, after conducting an inquiry into the matter. It was also found that Mr. Tripathi was in his home town when the notice was served.”
While section 126 of the BNSS deals with “security for the keeping of the peace in other cases”, section 135 governs a magistrate’s inquiry into the truth of information received about a person’s request to give a security bond for keeping the peace or for good behaviour.
While the police administration said that the notification had been withdrawn, Mr. Tripathi claimed that he had not received any notice to withdraw the previous notification.
A notice from the Court of Executive Magistrate III, Greater Noida Commissionerate, said that according to a police report, the protester (Mr. Tripathi) was “spreading anti-government propaganda and inciting other university students to join the proposed CJP (Cockroach Janta Party) protest”. It added that based on the report, there was a “high possibility that the above protests will cause a breach of peace”.
Mr Tripathi, a second-year BA LLB student at GBU, said he received a notice from Sub-Inspector (SI) Shiva Pandey of Greater Noida’s Ecotech-I police station at 8pm on September 4. He said that when he participated in the Jantar Mantar protest, the order says he was “inciting” other students of the university to participate in the protests. He said: “The university was closed for three months and I was not on campus during that time, so how could I encourage other students to join during that time?”
He added: “I thought I got the notice because I was active in student activism at my university.” Mr. Tripathi is the Unit Secretary for the Students Federation of India (SFI) of Gautama Buddha University. Apart from participating in the Gen Z protests at Jantar Mantar, he has also been active in the “School Bachao Movement” protesting against school closures and protesting against the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020.
SI Pandey, who sent the notice to him, said, “The order has now been withdrawn from the office of the Executive Magistrate and we have been trying to reach Mr. Tripathi to inform him about it.”
On Tuesday (September 8, 2026), Mr Tripathi said his family received a call from the police saying the notice had been withdrawn. “But if it was revoked, how come I didn’t get written notice of the revocation of the earlier notice?”
The SFI condemned the UP police for “targeting” students who were participating in peaceful protests. The organization said in a statement that students had raised questions about the paper leaks and that Mr. Tripathi was part of the student movement.
“On July 20, while marching peacefully towards Parliament, Mr. Tripathi was seriously injured when the Delhi Police used force against the protesters.
And now, instead of the UP Police dealing with the issues raised by the students, they are focusing on those who raised their voices,” SFÚ said.
Adarsh M Shaji, All India President of SFI, said, “SFI plans to file a case against the notification as it is against the Supreme Court directive that no coercive action will be taken against the students.”
SFÚ’s legal team further added that they are awaiting information on the recall and will continue with the petition if they do not receive any substantial information.
Reacting to the announcement, CJP spokesperson Saurav Das said on ‘X’ on Tuesday (September 8, 2026), “All protesters have permanent blanket immunity from any legal action for their participation in CJP protests. Akshay Tripathi does not have to post bail of ₹5 lakh.”
Published – 8 Sep 2026 15:28 IST