All India Students’ Association (AISA) President Neha Bora with others after her release from RK Puram police station, in New Delhi, on October 17, 2026.
| Photo Credit: PTI
All India Students Association (AISA) national president Neha Bora’s counsel argued before the Delhi High Court on Thursday (October 22, 2026) that there was nothing wrong with seeking regime change in a democracy, while the court reserved its order on her plea challenging a police notice to furnish a bond for maintaining peace before a special executive magistrate.
Justice Subramonium Prasad said the court would pronounce its decision at 6 p.m. on October 23 after hearing arguments from lawyers representing Neha and the Delhi Police.
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Chetan Sharma, appearing for the Delhi Police, questioned the maintainability of the student leader’s petition and referred to certain material, including a joint press conference attended by Ms. Bora at which a statement on regime change was made.
Responding to the submission, senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing for Ms. Bora, said: “There is nothing wrong in regime change in a democracy.”
Also Read : Neha Bora released, Abhijeet Dipke to be produced before SEM court: Delhi Police
Lumpen elements congregating: ASG
Objecting to the argument, the ASG said, “A regime change in a democracy will happen by votes, not by lumpen elements congregating in the nerve of New Delhi.”
Mr. Sankaranarayanan, though, argued that the special executive magistrate (SEM) had issued the notice to the activist without applying independent judgment, describing it as a “cut and paste job”.
Referring to the police’s allegation that Neha had hoisted the national flag without permission, he maintained that citizens were not required to seek official approval to do so.
The ASG, however, submitted that sufficient material was available before the SEM when the notice was issued and that the magistrate had applied his mind.
The AISA president was taken into preventive detention on October 16 on her way to join the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ march. She was released on October 17.
CJP leaders skip Crime Branch questioning
Meanwhile, Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka did not appear before the Delhi Police Crime Branch for questioning on Thursday and sought additional time to join the investigation, police sources said. The police are likely to issue fresh notices to both leaders.
The Crime Branch issued notices to Mr. Das and Mr. Ranka on Wednesday, following their release from seven days of judicial custody, directing them to appear for questioning at noon on Thursday.
The investigation pertains to allegations of trespassing into Jantar Mantar after it was denotified as a protest site, obstructing police personnel on duty, disobedience of a government order among others.
Mr. Das and Mr. Ranka were detained on October 13 for allegedly entering the barricaded protest area by climbing over its gates. They were remanded to five days of judicial custody on October 14, with their custody extended by two more days on October 19.
Published – October 22, 2026 05:09 pm IST
