The Allahabad High Court on Tuesday granted bail to journalist Satyam Verma in one of the criminal cases registered against him following the Noida worker’s protest in April 2026. The accused was granted relief on the ground of parity with the co-accused, who had previously received bail in the same case. However, Verma remains in custody due to other pending cases and a separate detention under the National Security Act.
The bench of Justice Krishan Pahal granted bail to Verma in a case registered at a police station in Gautam Buddh Nagar, considering the principle of parity, and co-accused Shiv Kumar had been granted bail in the same matter on June 23, earlier this year, the Live Law reported. The court noted that Shiv Kumar was not named in the FIR, and the FIR had been lodged against a mob, the Live Law further reported. Shiv Kumar has been in jail since April 14, earlier this year.
The court also said that the decision was based on the nature of the offense, the availability of evidence, and the severity of the alleged acts. They also made clear that it was not expressing any opinion on the merits of the case. Satyam Verma is also the editor of Mazdoor Bigul Dasta and was arrested in Lucknow on April 12. He was arrested in a case from the workers’ protest. Moreover, he was booked separately under the National Security Act on May 13, earlier this year, along with student activist Akriti Chaudhary. Chaudhar’s NSA detention was quashed by the Allahabad High Court on September 2, earlier this month.
Bench of Justice Atul Sreedharan and Justice Achal Sachdev noted that the grounds for Akriti’s detention under NSA did not contain a “single shred of evidence” against her. The court has ordered Rs 5 lakh compensation to her to be recovered from the salaries of officials involved in the legal actions taken against her.
The Uttar Pradesh Police has said that Verma’s role was significant in violence, arson, and amplifying the disorder during the workers’ protest.
A massive protest unfolded in Noida by factory workers demanding a hike in wages, which soon turned violent, leading to the burning of cars and blocking of roads in several parts of the city. Initiated by a latest 35% wage hike in neighboring Haryana, protesting workers demanded higher pay and better working conditions and said that current wages were insufficient for rising living costs.
According to officials, a large number of workers from various industrial units gathered to protest for a raise in salary, chanting slogans during the protest. However, it soon turned violent as some protestors allegedly vandalized property and set a vehicle ablaze. Shortly after this, a heavy police deployment was made at the site, bringing the situation under control. The Uttar Pradesh Police has alleged that Verma played an important role in the violence, arson, and spread of disorder during the workers’ protest and attempted to disrupt public order by allegedly provoking people in various areas.
