Family members and relatives of workers, who were detained by the police after their protest against alleged exploitation of workers in Noida and the NCR, raise slogans during a protest against their arrest, at Jantar Mantar, in New Delhi, on Thursday, April 30, 2026.
| Photo Credit: PTI
The Uttar Pradesh police on Wednesday (May 13, 2026) invoked the National Security Act, 1980 against two activists held in connection with the Noida workers’ protest. Satyam Verma and Aakriti Choudhary are among the seven activists arrested by the UP police in various cases filed by the police. The Commissioner of Police, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Laxmi Singh, told The Hindu on Wednesday (May 13, 2026) that the police has “strong electronic and videographic evidence” against these two as well as 65 others who have been arrested in connection with these cases so far.
“In connection with the case, NSA action has been taken against Satyam Verma and Aakriti. Both are active members of the Mazdoor Bigul Dasta. Their roles were found to be significant in the violence, arson and spread of disorder during the workers’ protest. They attempted to disrupt public order by provoking people in various areas,” the official statement from the Commissioner of Police, Gautam Buddh Nagar, said.
The NSA enables the detention of an individual for up to a year without trial.
The workers’ protest ongoing in various parts of the country since the beginning of this year spread to Noida in early April when thousands of workers took to streets to put forth their demands of wage hike and improved working conditions. On April 13, incidents of vehicle burning, trespassing and stone pelting were reported in a few places, following which police lathicharged on workers and detained hundreds of workers and seven activists involved in the protest.
Satyam Verma is a senior journalist and a public intellectual associated with Janchetna Books and Jagaruk Nagrik Manch. He was arrested by the UP police from Lucknow on April 17. As per his associates, Mr. Verma was not in Noida in April and had last visited the city 12 years ago.
Aakriti Choudhary is a student activist and a theatre artist. She is a member of Disha Students’ Organization that has worked in the field of education and employment. After her post graduation from the Department of History, Delhi University, she has been preparing for a PhD. She was one of the four people arrested by police from Botanical Garden Metro Station on April 11, two days before the violence occurred.
As per members of the Mazdur Bigul, both accused were made to sign a document on Monday night stating that NSA has been invoked against them.
The lawyers representing Satyam and Aakriti, however, said the police have not submitted any documents in the court supporting the invocation of NSA. “Further procedure is petitioned in the High Court,” said advocate Choudhary Ali Zia Kabir.
“None among those arrested are workers. They are outsiders, not residents of Noida, who have tried to incite violence in the protest,” the Commissioner said. “Initially, 353 individuals were arrested from the spots where vandalism and arson was reported. Many of those held under preventive detention were released on the same day,” she added.
Allegations of procedural lapses
While the police claims there were no procedural lapses in the arrests of workers and activists, bail applications of activists said that they were not shown any arrest memos at the time of arrest, no search warrants were shown to their family members before their homes were searched and at least three activists have alleged custodial violence by police since their arrests.
Lawyers said that some FIRs were also filed much later, suggesting afterthought.
Responding to these allegations, the Commissioner said, “We have followed all procedure in letter and spirit. We have produced search warrants, Non Bailable Warrants and other documents wherever required. We have video footage of all interrogations, eliminating the possibility of custodial violence,” Ms. Singh added.
Published – May 14, 2026 03:25 am IST
