Archive · 2 Sep 2026
Indian Courts and Officials Face Detention, Speech Controversies
Several legal and political disputes are happening in India and the United Kingdom.
An Indian court cancelled the detention of activist Aakriti Chaudhary, saying the government’s story was made up.
She will still remain in jail because she has not received bail in other cases.
A retired civil servant, Ashish Joshi, was questioned about a post on X involving Home Minister Amit Shah, according to Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit.
A newspaper’s journalists went to court after using a disputed phrase about student clashes in Kolkata.
Groups in Britain asked London’s mayor not to provide venues or official support for events involving Mohan Bhagwat.
In another case, a court ordered a new investigation into Disha Salian’s death.
Her father says she was murdered, while police had earlier said they found no evidence of foul play.
The Allahabad High Court quashed Aakriti Chaudhary’s preventive detention under the National Security Act and ordered Rs 5 lakh compensation, but she remains jailed in other protest-related cases.
Former civil servant Ashish Joshi was reportedly taken for questioning over an X post concerning Amit Shah, then taken home by the Delhi Police Special Cell, according to Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit and Joshi.
The Calcutta High Court declined an urgent hearing for Anandabazar Patrika journalists facing an FIR over a headline describing clashes at Jadavpur University as “saffron hooliganism.”
United Kingdom-based civil society groups asked Mayor Sadiq Khan to deny city-owned venues and official support to events involving Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat.
The Bombay High Court ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into Disha Salian’s death after her father alleged rape, murder and a politically driven cover-up, despite an earlier police finding of no foul play.
- Who
- The Allahabad, Calcutta and Bombay high courts; activist Aakriti Chaudhary; former civil servant Ashish Joshi; Anandabazar Patrika journalists; Mohan Bhagwat; Rahul Gandhi; and Disha Salian’s father Satish Salian are among those involved.
- What
- The roundup covers a detention being quashed, reported police questioning, a media-related court petition, objections to an RSS-linked visit, a defamation case involving claims about Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, and a new probe into Disha Salian’s death.
- When
- The events concern developments reported after the April workers’ protests, the August 20 Jadavpur University clashes, Bhagwat’s expected Wednesday arrival in the United Kingdom, and legal proceedings in 2025.
- Where
- The cases and events involve Noida and other parts of India, including Delhi, Kolkata, Pune and Mumbai, as well as London, the United States and Canada in connection with Bhagwat’s travel.
- Why
- They arose from disputes over preventive detention, political social-media speech, a newspaper headline, an RSS-linked visit, alleged defamatory statements about Savarkar, and competing accounts of Salian’s death.
Critics, Petitioners and Opposition Voices
Authorities, Respondents and Defendants
Preventive detention
Critics, Petitioners and Opposition Voices
The Allahabad High Court found Aakriti Chaudhary’s detention was based on a “concocted story” and ordered compensation.
Authorities, Respondents and Defendants
The Uttar Pradesh government detained her under the National Security Act; she remains in jail in other cases because bail has not been granted.
Questioning over X post
Critics, Petitioners and Opposition Voices
Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit and activists raised concern that Ashish Joshi had been taken into custody over criticism involving Amit Shah and police action against protesting students.
Authorities, Respondents and Defendants
Joshi later said the Delhi Police Special Cell had dropped him home; the account describes the men as only purportedly being Delhi Police personnel.
Disha Salian’s death
Critics, Petitioners and Opposition Voices
Salian’s father alleged that she was gangraped and murdered and that influential people were protected by a politically driven cover-up.
Authorities, Respondents and Defendants
Police closed the case in 2021 and said there was no evidence of foul play; the Bombay High Court has now ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation probe.
Descriptions of political figures
Critics, Petitioners and Opposition Voices
Rahul Gandhi was accused in a defamation case of portraying Vinayak Damodar Savarkar as an extreme Muslim-hater and mob lyncher.
Authorities, Respondents and Defendants
Satyaki Savarkar testified that his granduncle never hated Muslims and instead showed Muslims the way for their progress.
- Aakriti Chaudhary ruling
- The Allahabad High Court quashed her preventive detention under the National Security Act and ordered Noida authorities to pay Rs 5 lakh compensation.
- Chaudhary’s custody
- She has been jailed for nearly five months and remains in custody because bail has not been secured in other protest-related cases.
- Ashish Joshi questioning
- Joshi was reportedly taken by plain-clothes men, purportedly Delhi Police personnel, over an X post concerning Amit Shah and later said the Special Cell had dropped him home.
- Newspaper case
- The Calcutta High Court declined an urgent hearing for Anandabazar Patrika journalists facing an FIR over the phrase “saffron hooliganism.”
- United Kingdom request
- Fifteen civil society organisations and individuals asked London Mayor Sadiq Khan not to provide city-owned venues or official support for RSS-linked events involving Mohan Bhagwat.
- Disha Salian investigation
- The Bombay High Court ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation to probe Salian’s death, after police had closed the case in 2021 without finding evidence of foul play.
- Savarkar defamation case
- Satyaki Savarkar told a Pune court that Vinayak Damodar Savarkar never hated Muslims and alleged Rahul Gandhi portrayed him as a Muslim-hater and mob lyncher.