Noida: Police will produce Satyam Verma, a Lucknow-based translator and journalist, and Aakriti Choudhary, a Delhi University history graduate, before the state’s National Security Act Advisory Board in Lucknow on Tuesday. Both were arrested for allegedly inciting violence during the Noida industrial workers’ protest on April 13 and subsequently charged under Section 3 of the NSA. They remain in judicial custody.
Legal Proceedings Under NSA
Under the Act, detainees must be presented before the advisory board within three weeks of detention. During Tuesday’s production, the government is required to place the grounds of detention, any representations made by the detainees, and relevant reports before the board. Aakriti’s counsel, Advocate Rajnish Yadav, said they would present their case directly before the board. The board, after hearing the matter, determines whether the detention is justified. It may order the detainee’s release or extend detention for a period not exceeding 12 months.
Allegations and Police Claims
Police claimed that Verma received more than Rs 1 crore in his personal bank accounts from abroad in dollars, pounds, and euros, and quickly transferred the money. A statement issued by Noida police commissionerate earlier this month claimed Verma transferred the funds to his other personal accounts at different times and said his links with “various organisations” were also under scrutiny. Verma’s lawyer, however, dismissed the claim as fabricated, saying police failed to place any such evidence before the court and were now trying to build a case. Verma writes for the labour periodical Mazdoor Bigul.
Background of the Protest
The factory workers’ protest began on April 10 in the Phase 2 area after the Haryana government raised wages for unskilled, semi-skilled, and skilled workers by 35%. For three days, the demonstration remained peaceful, but turned violent on April 13. More than 100 factories were vandalised, and vehicles were torched across the district. Police subsequently registered over a dozen FIRs at Phase 2, Sector 63, and other stations, arresting more than 50 people for alleged roles in inciting the violence.
Both Verma and Choudhary were accused of provoking workers, triggering disorder, and disturbing public order during the agitation, which began over stagnant wages and later saw arson, vandalism, and stone-pelting in industrial areas.
