Neha Bora, the president of the All India Students' Association, was taken into preventive detention on 16 October while heading to a protest in Connaught Place. The Delhi Police issued a notice on 17 October under Section 126 of the BNSS, demanding she post a Rs 10,000 bond with a surety to keep the peace during an inquiry. She was released the next day but still faces the bond requirement.
The Delhi High Court dismissed Bora's petition on Friday, but ordered the Special Executive Magistrate to hand over all material related to the notice and to decide the timing of the bond within the proceeding. Justice Subramonium Prasad said the court had sufficient safeguards and that the bond could only be issued after a proper inquiry.
Bora said she would refuse to sign the bond, arguing that the requirement infringes on her constitutional right to protest. "Signing would silence dissent," she told reporters, adding that the bond's use "goes against our fundamental rights."
She also confirmed she will appear before the SEM as directed by the court, where the magistrate will consider whether to issue the bond at the outset or later. The court’s decision leaves her in a legal grey area, pending the SEM’s next move.
Bora’s stance echoes a growing debate over the use of peace bonds to curb political activism. The Delhi Police have relied on Section 126 to target protestors, while activists claim the measures erode democratic freedoms. The next hearing before the SEM is scheduled for early next week.