- SC stays HC order on compensation for Noida DM Medha Roopam.
- Allahabad HC directed DM to pay Rs 5 lakh from salary.
- Relief for DM in student Akriti Chaudhary's NSA detention case.
Gautam Buddh Nagar District (Noida) Magistrate Medha Roopam on Wednesday got a relief from the Supreme Court in a matter related to Rs 5 lakh compensation. The apex court stayed the operation of the Allahabad High Court order directing Roopam to pay compensation of Rs 5 lakh from her salary for the detention of student Akriti Chaudhary under the NSA in connection with the Noida workers' protest in April.
SC's Stay On Two Pleas From DM And UP Govt
The top court, while hearing two separate pleas filed by Roopam and the Uttar Pradesh government, passed the interim orders. A bench of Justices Satish Chandra Sharma and N Kotishwar Singh issued notice on Roopam's plea and stayed the High Court's direction quashing Chaudhary's detention.
During the brief hearing, the bench heard Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the district magistrate (DM), and senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi for the state of UP, before it muted the audio of the video conference proceedings. Senior advocate Collin Gonsalves appeared for Chaudhary on caveat.
The bench also stayed the observations made in the High Court order against the DM. "After hearing senior counsels for the parties, this court is of the opinion that till the matter is heard on merits, the operation of the impugned judgment, particularly, para Nos. 27 to 33 shall remain stayed," it ordered and posted the matter for further hearing on October 7.
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On September 2, the High Court quashed the detention of Akriti Chaudhary, a 25-year-old Delhi University history graduate, who was taken into custody under the National Security Act (NSA) in connection with the Noida workers' protest in April.
Allowing Chaudhary's habeas corpus petition challenging her arrest, the high court found that the detention was based on a story "concocted" by the state and directed her immediate release if her arrest was not warranted in any other case. It strongly criticised the manner in which the detention order was passed by Roopam and warned that continued "despotic" conduct by "errant" bureaucracy could reduce Uttar Pradesh to an "Orwellian dystopia".
It also awarded Rs 5 lakh compensation to Chaudhary and directed that the amount be recovered from the salary of Roopam, who passed the detention order, as well as other officers responsible right down to the SHO.
On September 9, Solicitor General Mehta told the Supreme Court that an appeal would be filed against the High Court decision quashing the detention order.
(With PTI inputs)