Neha Bora, national president of the All India Students’ Association (AISA), has approached the Delhi High Court to challenge a Delhi Police notice requiring her to furnish a personal bond of Rs 10,000 along with a surety to maintain peace during an inquiry.
In a statement released on Monday, October 19, AISA said the notice was issued by the New Delhi District Police under Sections 126 and 130, read with Section 135(3), of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). Dated October 17 and issued on October 18, the notice directed Bora to appear before the Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) on October 19.
The show-cause notice instructed Bora to provide a personal bond of Rs 10,000 with one surety, undertaking to “keep the peace for the period of enquiry”.
AISA said Bora’s legal team was seeking an urgent hearing before the Delhi High Court. Her lawyers would also appear before the SEM to respond to the notice and inform the magistrate that the matter had been challenged in the High Court.
According to the association, the petition seeks an immediate stay and withdrawal of the notice on the grounds that it is ambiguous, factually incorrect and infringes Bora’s fundamental rights under Articles 19 and 21 of the Constitution.
AISA also raised concerns over allegations that Delhi Police personnel in plain clothes had been following Bora since her release from detention on October 16. The organisation questioned whether this was standard police procedure or an attempt to intimidate her.
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AISA alleged that the notice was intended to suppress peaceful demonstrations demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The association accused Delhi Police of using preventive legal measures to restrict protests over alleged electoral irregularities and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The organisation claimed that police action against demonstrators had involved restrictions under Section 163 of the BNSS, which replaced Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code. It also alleged that security deployments and restrictions affecting transport and internet connectivity had been used during the protests.
The notice was issued days after Bora was released from detention on October 16, amid police action against demonstrators seeking Kumar’s resignation.
AISA said it intended to challenge what it considers the misuse of legal provisions through continued peaceful demonstrations and legal proceedings.
