Allahabad HC seeks response from Centre, UP government on NSA detention of journalist Satyam Verma

Journalist Satyam Verma demanded quashing of the orders, his immediate release and compensation for his alleged illegal detention. File | Photo credit: The Hindu

The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday (September 16, 2026) asked the Centre, the Uttar Pradesh government and District Magistrate Gautam Buddh Nagar to respond to a habeas corpus petition challenging the preventive detention of journalist Satyam Verma under the National Security Act (NSA), 1980, in connection with the Noida 20 workers’ protest.

A bench of Justices Atul Sreedharan and Achal Sachdev issued notices to the concerned authorities. The next hearing date in the case is October 7.

In the plea, Mr. Verma challenged his detention order passed by the district judge on May 12 along with the state government’s subsequent approval and confirmation orders. He sought the cancellation of the orders, his immediate release and compensation for the alleged illegal detention.

The key contention in the petition is that the detention order wrongly places Mr. Verma at the scene of the April 13 violence in Noida. The plea claims that CCTV footage and detailed call records show that he was in Lucknow that day and was picked up by the Hasanganj police around 3.30 pm.

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‘He is not named in any FIR’

The petition further alleged that the investigating officer failed to place the CCTV footage and call records to the detaining authority. It also states that Mr. Verma was not named in any of the 11 FIRs relied upon for his detention.

He also questioned the reliance on the statement allegedly made by co-accused or witness Mangal while he was in police custody. The plea contends that these statements could not be the basis for preventive detention.

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‘All earnings disclosed’

In the petition, Mr. Verma also challenges the authorities’ alleged characterization of his professional income as “riot financing.” He states that his income as a translator and publisher was received through formal banking channels and was reported in his income tax returns.

Mr. Verma also argued that the workers’ protest was about minimum wage demands and did not pose a threat to “public order” that warranted preventive detention under the NSA.

The petition also relied on the Supreme Court’s earlier order quashing the preventive detention of fellow inmate Akriti Chaudhary in connection with the same agitation. He also disputed his original arrest on the night of April 17-18, claiming he was detained by plainclothes personnel without arrest and without informing his family.

The development comes a day after another bench of the Supreme Court stayed Mr Verma’s bail plea in one of the 11 criminal cases linked to the protest. The state asked for time to file its objections, including the issue of parity with the co-accused, who was released on bail on June 23.

Published – 16 Sep 2026 22:37 IST