Daijiworld Media Network - Noida
Noida, Sep 9: A second-year law student of Gautam Buddha University (GBU) was served a notice seeking a personal bond of Rs 5 lakh after he was allegedly involved in a Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, but the order was subsequently revoked, police said.
The student, identified as Akshat Tripathi, denied the allegations and said he had participated in the protest peacefully. He also claimed that he was not attending classes at the time as the GBU campus had remained closed for nearly three months.
The notice was issued on September 4 by the Greater Noida Executive Magistrate under Section 130 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), following proceedings initiated under Sections 126 and 135 before the Assistant Commissioner of Police’s court.
Tripathi was directed to show cause as to why he should not be ordered to maintain peace for six months by furnishing a personal bond of Rs 5 lakh, along with sureties of an equal amount from two local solvent persons. A hearing had been scheduled for September 5.
According to the police report submitted by Sub-Inspector Shiva Pandey of Ecotech-1 police station and forwarded by the station house officer, Tripathi, originally from Jhunsi in Prayagraj and currently residing in the Ecotech-1 area, is a student of GBU.
The report alleged that Tripathi was encouraging fellow university students to participate in a protest proposed by a political party and was circulating misleading and anti-government narratives. Police claimed that his activities had created a tense atmosphere on the university campus and raised the possibility of altercations and a breach of public order.
However, police at Ecotech police station subsequently said the notice had been revoked after the matter came to their attention, and the concerned authorities were informed accordingly. Reports differ slightly on the timing of the withdrawal, with police sources cited by PTI saying it was revoked on September 4, while another report said the order was cancelled on September 5 following an inquiry.
Tripathi, in a video circulated on social media, rejected the allegations and maintained that he had taken part in the demonstration peacefully. He also claimed that he was injured during Delhi Police action when protesters marched towards Parliament on July 20.
The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) condemned the action, describing it as “repressive” and criticising the Uttar Pradesh government and police. Tripathi is reported to be associated with the SFI’s Uttar Pradesh state committee.
The development came just days after the Supreme Court’s September 1 order concerning cases arising from the CJP-led student protests between July 20 and 25. The apex court ordered that FIRs and related proceedings concerning those protests be closed and directed that such cases should not be pursued or investigated. The court also barred fresh FIRs concerning the same incidents, while making an exception for a group of individuals whom Delhi Police alleged had serious criminal antecedents.
The Supreme Court order followed applications by the Centre and several states seeking closure of cases linked to the protests. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, dealt with the matter. The court invoked its powers under Article 142 of the Constitution.
Following the Supreme Court proceedings, CJP had also called off its proposed September 5 protest march in Delhi, saying its demands regarding the cases against protesters had been addressed.
Reacting to Tripathi’s notice on X, CJP co-convenor Saurav Das questioned whether Gautam Buddh Nagar District Magistrate Medha Roopam had taken note of the Supreme Court’s September 1 order. Das claimed that protesters had protection from legal action for their participation in the CJP demonstrations and said Tripathi should not be required to execute the Rs 5 lakh bond.
“We have asked the Union Government to immediately act accordingly and send a copy of the judgment to the learned DM. We will not allow any student to be targeted,” Das said.
The controversy has since centred on the allegations made in the police report, Tripathi’s denial of wrongdoing and the Supreme Court’s subsequent directions concerning cases arising from the July CJP protests.
Source cross-check: The report has been recreated after checking the PTI copy and cross-verifying details with The Indian Express, The Times of India, Hindustan Times and other reports.