CJI Surya Kant slams magistrate for defying court order in student protest case

An executive magistrate in Greater Noida issued a notice demanding Rs 5 lakh from a student, a move that drew sharp objection from Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, who expressed his displeasure in open court. The notice was sent to the student after he took part in a Cockroach Janta Party protest in Delhi.

During the hearing, the court asked how an executive magistrate could dare issue such a notice when the Supreme Court had already ordered that all FIRs linked to student protests be quashed and had directed that no further strict action be taken against any student who had participated in the Cockroach Janta Party protest.

Senior advocate Biswajit Bhattacharya orally mentioned the matter before the bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant. Objecting to the magistrate's action, the CJI said no coercive action would be taken against any student and that no magistrate could overturn the court's order.

Justice Joymalya Bagchi asked whether the grounds for action would remain even if the notice were withdrawn. Bhattacharya replied that once contempt of court had occurred, withdrawing the notice alone would not settle the matter, since it was a question of the dignity of the country's highest court.

Bhattacharya told the court that the executive magistrate had sent a notice to a second-year student of Gautam Buddha University asking why he had not furnished a personal bond of Rs 5 lakh. The student was accused of taking part in and promoting the Cockroach Janta Party's protest. Speaking to the media, Bhattacharya said the notice had since been withdrawn. Based on information from Noida police, the former magistrate of Greater Noida had issued the notice, but it was withdrawn before it could be acted upon. Bhattacharya alleged that officials in Noida and Uttar Pradesh were creating an atmosphere of fear among students.

According to the information available, the court of the executive magistrate (third) of Greater Noida had issued the notice against a student named Akshat Tripathi under Sections 126/135 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). The police report had said Tripathi was inciting other students to join the proposed protest. The notice, dated September 4, 2026, alleged that Tripathi was spreading anti-government propaganda among university students and inciting them to join the Cockroach Janta Party's proposed sit-in protest. The police also claimed that Tripathi's alleged actions had created considerable tension, raising the risk of clashes, disputes and a breakdown of public order. It was on the basis of this police report that the executive magistrate had issued the Rs 5 lakh notice against Akshat Tripathi, though it was withdrawn before it could be enforced.