A 20-year-old student of Gautam Buddha University (GBU) was served a show-cause notice on September 4 by the Greater Noida Commissionerate for “spreading anti-government propaganda” and “inciting” university students to join the Jantar Mantar protests. The notice was withdrawn the next day. The notice also asked the student Akshat Tripathi, to show cause as to why they should “not be bound by a personal bond” of ₹5 lakh.
Assistant Commissioner of Police, Greater Noida, Ravi Shanker confirmed to The Hindu that a notice had been served to Mr. Tripathi under sections 126 and 135 of Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). “These are preventive sections under which the Executive Magistrate routinely serve notices to people under suspicion that they may cause breach of peace after receiving information from the police regarding the same,” Mr. Shanker said. “While Mr. Tripathi was served the notice, the same was withdrawn immediately the next day, on September 5, after conducting an inquiry into the matter. Also, it was realised that Mr. Tripathi was in his home town when the notice was served.”
While Section 126 of BNSS deals with ‘security for keeping peace in other cases,’ Section 135 governs the magistrate’s inquiry into the truth of information received regarding a person’s requirement to give a security bond for keeping peace or good behaviour.
While the police administration has said that the notice was withdrawn, Mr. Tripathi has maintained that he has not received any notice cancelling the earlier one.
The notice, from the court of Executive Magistrate III, Greater Noida Commissionerate, stated that as per a police report, the protester (Mr. Tripathi) is “spreading anti-government propaganda and inciting other university students to join the proposed protest by CJP (Cockroach Janta Party).” It added that based on the report, there is a “strong possibility of the aforementioned protested causing a breach of peace”.
Mr. Tripathi, a second-year BA L.L.B student of GBU, said that he received the notice from Greater Noida’s Ecotech-I police station’s Sub-Inspector (SI) Shiva Pandey at 8 p.m. on September 4. He said that while he had attended the Jantar Mantar protest, the order says that he was “inciting” other university students to attend protests. He said, “The university was shut for three months and I was not on campus at the time, so how could I incite other students to join during that time period?”
He added, “I thought I got the notice because I have been active in student activism in my university.” Mr. Tripathi is the Gautam Buddha University’s Unit Secretary for Students’ Federation of India (SFI). Besides participating in Gen Z protests at Jantar Mantar, he has also been active in the ‘School Bachao Movement’ protesting school closures, and protests against the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020.
SI Pandey who had sent him the notice, said, “The order has been now been withdrawn from the Executive Magistrate’s office, and we have been trying to reach out to Mr. Tripathi to inform him of the same.”
On Tuesday (September 8, 2026), Mr. Tripathi said that his family received a call from the police saying that the notice was revoked. “But if it has been revoked, then how come I haven’t received a notice in written revoking the earlier notice?”
SFI condemned the UP police for “targeting” students who participated in peaceful protests. The organisation said in a statement that students had raised questions about paper leaks, and that Mr. Tripathi was a part of the student movement.
“On July 20, while peacefully marching towards Parliament, Mr. Tripathi was seriously injured when Delhi Police used force against protesters.
And now, instead of addressing the questions raised by students, the UP Police is targeting those who raised their voices,” SFI stated.
Adarsh M Shaji, All India President, SFI said, “SFI plans to file a writ petition against the notice, since it goes against Supreme Court directions that no coercive action will be taken against students.”
SFI’s legal team further added that they are awaiting information about the withdrawal, and if they do not receive any substantial information, they will go ahead with the petition.
Reacting to the notice, CJP Spokesperson Saurav Das said on ‘X’ on Tuesday (September 8, 2026), “All protesters have a permanent blanket immunity from any legal action for their participation in CJP protests. Akshay Tripathi need not execute bail bond of ₹5 lakh rupees.”
Published – September 08, 2026 03:28 pm IST
