NEW DELHI, September 9: The Supreme Court on Wednesday questioned a Greater Noida Executive Magistrate for issuing a ₹5 lakh bond notice to a university student despite an earlier top court order protecting students involved in the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protests from penal action.
CJI Questions Magistrate’s Action
A Bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, expressed surprise over the notice and stressed that its September 1 order clearly barred penal action against students over participation in the protests.
The Court said it would seek an explanation from the concerned authority once the notice is formally placed before it through a petition.
Student Asked to Furnish ₹5 Lakh Bond
The notice was issued to Akshat Tripathi, a 20-year-old second-year student at Gautam Buddha University.
Dated September 4, it asked him to explain why he should not be required to execute:
- A ₹5 lakh personal bond
- Two sureties of ₹5 lakh each
- An undertaking to maintain peace for six months
The proceedings were initiated under provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) after police alleged that Tripathi was encouraging students to join protests.
Notice Was Later Withdrawn
Authorities subsequently revoked the notice, but the Supreme Court indicated that its withdrawal would not automatically end concerns over whether its earlier directions had been violated.
Tripathi has denied the allegations, saying he was not on the university campus during the period cited by authorities.
The development puts Greater Noida authorities under fresh judicial scrutiny over compliance with the Supreme Court’s protection granted to student protesters.
source – The Indian Express / LiveLaw
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