The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to grant interim relief to former journalist Satyam Verma, who has been detained under the National Security Act (NSA) in connection with violence during workers’ protests in Noida, while agreeing to examine the legality of his detention.
A bench of Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan agreed to hear the case as it issued notices to the Uttar Pradesh government and the Centre on a petition filed by Verma’s wife challenging the detention order.
The court said it would not intervene at this stage. “For now, we can’t grant you any interim relief because the validity of the detention order has to be seen,” the bench said, according to legal news reports.
Verma, 60, was detained on May 13 along with Aakriti Chaudhary, 25, under the NSA, which allows preventive detention without trial for up to one year.
Both are linked to Mazdoor Bigul Dasta, a workers’ organisation. Police have alleged that they played a “significant role” in instigating violence, arson and disruption during a large protest held in Noida on April 13, when tens of thousands of industrial workers gathered to demand higher wages.
Police also alleged that Verma was involved in encouraging unrest and that funds were received from foreign sources to fuel the violence. The detention order further cited recovery of books and material, including writings attributed to Mao Zedong, which authorities described as “objectionable” and “anti-democratic”.
Verma’s wife has challenged the detention, arguing that he was not present at the protest site and has been targeted for his work with the Mazdoor Bigul newspaper and its social media platforms. She has also argued that multiple FIRs against him have been wrongly combined and that the case reflects an attempt to suppress labour voices.
According to the petition, Verma was taken from a publisher’s office in Lucknow and asked to remove an article on workers’ issues that police claimed could “disturb public order”. He reportedly complied, while maintaining the article concerned labour rights.
The Supreme Court was also informed that a related habeas corpus petition is already pending before the Allahabad High Court.
The matter is expected to come up again in July.
The case stems from the April 13 protest in Noida, where an estimated 40,000 to 45,000 workers from multiple industrial units gathered to demand wage hikes amid rising living costs. The demonstration turned violent, with reports of stone-pelting and damage to property as police attempted to control the situation.
Following the violence, more than 350 people were arrested. Videos circulated online later showed police action during the crackdown, prompting allegations of excessive force, which authorities have denied.
India’s press freedom ranking has declined in recent years, with journalists and media workers increasingly facing legal pressure, arrests, and restrictions in connection with their reporting, according to watchdog assessments. India ranked 157th out of 180 countries in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders.
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