Supreme Court Refuses Bail to DU Student Accused in Noida Workers’ Protest Violence, Asks Petitioner to Approach Allahabad High Court

May 9, 2026 : The Supreme Court has refused to grant bail to a Delhi University student accused of inciting violence during an industrial workers’ protest in Noida, observing that the petitioner should first seek relief before the jurisdictional High Court instead of directly approaching the Apex Court under Article 32 of the Constitution.

A Bench of Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan declined to entertain the writ petition filed by Aakriti Chaudhary, one of the accused in the April 13 clashes linked to demonstrations by factory workers demanding higher wages and improved working conditions.

During the hearing, the Bench questioned the growing practice of directly approaching the Supreme Court for bail and stressed the importance of following the judicial hierarchy. Referring to the mounting pendency of nearly 93,000 cases before the Apex Court, the judges observed that litigants should ordinarily approach the concerned High Court first unless exceptional circumstances exist.

Counsel appearing for Chaudhary, a postgraduate student of Daulat Ram College, argued that the police had failed to furnish the grounds of arrest and sought interim protection from the Court. However, the Bench refused to entertain the plea and advised the petitioner to move the Allahabad High Court for appropriate relief.

At the same time, the Court issued notice to Uttar Pradesh police officials on a separate petition filed by Keshaw Anand alleging custodial torture in connection with the same case.

The matter arises from large-scale protests held in Noida on April 13 by industrial workers seeking wage revision and better working conditions. According to officials, workers from several industrial units had gathered to raise slogans and press for salary hikes.

Police alleged that the protest later turned violent, with some participants vandalising public and private property, pelting stones and setting a vehicle on fire. Criminal cases were subsequently registered, leading to multiple arrests.

A Noida trial court had earlier granted conditional police remand of three women accused in the case, namely Aakriti Chaudhary, Manisha Chauhan and Srishti Gupta. The trial court also directed that lawyers representing the accused be allowed to remain present during investigation proceedings.

Seeking custodial interrogation, police had argued that important evidence could potentially be recovered from the residences of the accused. Chaudhary and Gupta, both residents of Delhi and in their 20s, were identified as student activists, while Chauhan was stated to be employed at an industrial unit in Noida.

The case has triggered wider debate over the police response to labour protests and the invocation of serious criminal charges against student activists and workers allegedly linked to the demonstration.

The Supreme Court’s refusal to directly entertain the bail plea also underlines judicial concern over increasing pendency before the Apex Court, with the Bench reiterating that constitutional remedies should not ordinarily bypass regular judicial forums.