The Supreme Court limited the validity of the Allahabad HC order against Gautam Buddha Nagar DM to limitations and costs

High Court. File | Photo credit: PTI

The Supreme Court limited its September 23 interim order to stay the Allahabad High Court’s restrictions and award costs to Gautam Buddha Nagar District Judge Medha Roopam in connection with the detention of Delhi University student Akriti Chaudhary under the National Security Act (NSA).

An earlier version of the order published on Wednesday (September 23, 2026) reportedly said that “the court is of the opinion that until the matter is heard on the merits, the execution of the judgment, particularly paragraphs 27 to 33, will remain suspended.”

However, the current wording reads “the court is of the opinion that, until the matter is heard on its merits, the effectiveness of paragraphs 27 to 33 of the decision, including reimbursement of costs and strict measures against the petitioner, remains suspended”.

The term “enforcement of judgment” is no longer part of the court order.

The interim order was passed by Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and NK Singh.

On Thursday (September 24, 2026), the advocacy group, Lawyers Association for Constitution, issued an open letter to India’s chief justice, alleging “out of order” and “special assignment” of the case to a “specific court”.

“The matter is also significant because the petitioner, who is a civil servant, also happens to be the daughter of the Chief Election Commissioner of India (Gyanesh Kumar). The special listing of the case has been given special treatment and tends to set a wrong precedent,” said a letter circulated on the WhatsApp instant messaging platform by Supreme Court advocate Subhash Chandran.

The letter also highlighted the “muting of video conferencing equipment” during the hearing of the case.

“Court hearings are public hearings. This is particularly facilitated by video conferencing, which is available to lawyers, journalists and litigants,” the letter said.

The case deals with the detention of Ms. Chaudhary under the NSA in connection with the Noida workers’ protest in April this year. The Allahabad High Court set aside the detention and ordered a compensation of ₹5,000 to be paid to the student to be recovered from the salaries of Ms. Roopam and other officials involved. Ms. Roopam appealed to the Supreme Court. The interim order was issued even though the Supreme Court has yet to hear her appeal on the merits.

Published – 24 Sep 2026 22:47 IST