Akriti Chaudhary case: Allahabad HC slams Noida DM; says bureaucrats must be loyal to Constitution, not executive - Bar and Bench

**Allahabad High Court Rebukes Noida District Magistrate Over Detention of Law Student**

The Allahabad High Court on Thursday sharply criticized the District Magistrate (DM) of Noida for ordering the detention of 25‑year‑old law student Akriti Chaudhary under the National Security Act (NSA). Chaudhary had been arrested after taking part in a protest against the alleged harassment of workers at a construction site, an incident that quickly drew national attention. The court described the DM’s conduct as “worthy of derision,” noting that the official’s decision to invoke the NSA—typically reserved for grave threats to national security—was grossly disproportionate to the nature of a peaceful protest.

In a detailed judgment, the bench emphasized that civil servants are bound by the Constitution, not by the whims of the political executive. The judges warned that when bureaucrats prioritize executive orders over constitutional safeguards, they undermine the rule of law and risk creating an “Orwellian dystopia.” The court ordered the immediate release of Chaudhary, directed the state government to file a detailed report on the circumstances of the detention, and mandated that any future use of the NSA be subject to stringent judicial scrutiny.

Legal experts and civil‑society groups hailed the ruling as a reaffirmation of constitutional supremacy and a reminder that the administrative machinery must function as a neutral guarantor of rights. The decision is expected to reverberate across other states, prompting a review of NSA‑related arrests and reinforcing the principle that loyalty of public officials is owed first to the Constitution, not to any transient political authority.

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