NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday modified its interim order and stayed the strictures passed by the Allahabad High Court against Noida District Magistrate (DM) Medha Roopam, including a direction to pay Rs 5 lakh in compensation from her salary.
The High Court had directed the payment as compensation for the detention of student Akriti Chaudhary under the NSA in connection with the Noida workers' protest in April.
An apex court bench of Justices Satish Chandra Sharma and N Kotiswar Singh passed the interim order on Wednesday and listed the matter for further hearing on October 7.
According to the order uploaded on Wednesday, the entire controversial part of the High Court judgment was stayed. It said, "Till the matter is heard on merits, the operation of the impugned judgment, particularly, para Nos. 27 to 33 shall remain stayed."
The modified order, uploaded subsequently, specified that "till the matter is heard on merits, the operation of paras nos. 27 to 33 of the impugned judgment including award of costs and strictures against the petitioner shall remain stayed".
Furthermore, the apex court has not stayed the HC's direction quashing Chaudhary's detention under the National Security Act (NSA).
Paragraphs 27-33 of the HC's September 2 judgment criticised the DM for invoking the NSA against the student and contained strictures against her, along with a direction to pay Rs 5 lakh in compensation to the student, to be recovered from Roopam's salary.
The top court passed the interim orders on two separate pleas filed by Roopam and the Uttar Pradesh government.
During the brief hearing on Wednesday, the bench heard Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the DM, and senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi for the state of UP, before it muted the audio of the video conference proceedings. Senior advocate Collin Gonsalves appeared for Chaudhary.
The High Court had quashed the detention of Chaudhary, a 25-year-old Delhi University history graduate, who was taken into custody under the NSA in connection with the Noida workers' protest in April.