A division bench of the Allahabad High Court, comprising Justices Atul Sreedharan and Achal Sachdev, reserved its judgment on Friday after questioning the validity of the grounds against journalist Satyam Verma. The court paused its proceedings to examine the detention order dated May 12, which was issued by Gautam Buddh Nagar District Magistrate Medha Roopam. The bench did not immediately grant bail but signaled scrutiny by probing the terminology used in the state’s petition.
The core of the judicial inquiry centered on the phrase 'Aandolanjeevi' (agitator) cited in the grounds of detention. Verma’s legal team argued this characterization was arbitrary and legally unsound. They contended that the National Security Act was misapplied to suppress a lawful labor demand, a claim the court is now weighing against the state’s subjective satisfaction.
Verma’s petition painted a stark picture: he was allegedly 500 kilometers away in Lucknow when the Noida protests erupted on April 13. His legal counsel cited CCTV footage and call detail records (CDRs) showing he was detained by Hasanganj police at 2:14 pm that day, rendering his presence in Noida 'factually impossible.' Despite this, the state relied on 11 FIRs in which Verma was not named, and statements made by co-accused Mangal in police custody.
The plea further accused the investigating officer of deliberately withholding crucial CDRs and CCTV evidence from the detaining authority. This suppression, Verma’s side argued, vitiates the legal requirement of 'subjective satisfaction' necessary for NSA detention. The petition also highlighted a precedent involving co-detainee Akriti Chaudhary, whose similarly worded detention order was quashed by this same court on the same date.
The court’s upcoming ruling will determine whether Verma remains in custody or is released immediately. A decision is expected in the coming days, which could set a significant precedent for the use of preventive detention laws against journalists and labor activists in Uttar Pradesh.