Guwahati: The Delhi High Court will hear on October 22 a plea by All India Students’ Association (AISA) president Neha Bora challenging a Delhi Police notice asking her to execute a peace bond before a Special Executive Magistrate (SEM).
Bora, who has participated in protests against alleged irregularities in the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, has sought the quashing of the notice and directions restraining police from taking coercive action against her.
Justice Subramonium Prasad deferred the hearing on Wednesday at the request of Bora’s counsel. The plea was listed after the student leader sought an urgent hearing during the High Court’s Dussehra vacation.
Issued on October 17 under Section 126 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), the notice directed Bora to appear before the SEM on October 19 and explain why she should not execute a personal bond of Rs 10,000 with one surety to maintain peace during the period of enquiry.
Section 126 empowers an SEM to require a person to execute such a bond when there is credible information that the person is likely to breach the peace, disturb public tranquillity or commit a wrongful act that could cause a disturbance.
Bora was taken into preventive detention on October 16 while on her way to join the Cockroach Janata Party’s (CJP) ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ march. She was released on October 17.
In her petition, drafted by lawyer Abhik Chimni, Bora has argued that the police notice is vague, factually incorrect and unsupported by material establishing a likelihood of breach of peace.
The plea contends that the notice does not specify any “period, occasion or event” in connection with which a breach of peace is apprehended. It further alleges that the preventive proceedings are an attempt to suppress peaceful dissent, violating Articles 19(1)(a), 19(1)(b) and 21 of the Constitution.
The proceedings before the SEM refer to alleged sloganeering at Mandi House on October 16, repeated protests around Jantar Mantar despite prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS, and allegations that Bora instigated people to participate in a protest at Connaught Place on the same day.
Challenging the allegation concerning Connaught Place, the petition states that Bora had called for a peaceful gathering at Mandi House at 5 pm on October 16 and was detained there.
The plea also disputes the notice’s reference to violations of prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS, arguing that it does not identify a specific order or incident. It states that an order dated August 23, 2026, on record did not cover Mandi House and exempted Jantar Mantar Road.