High Court Questions UAPA Charges in Parliament Security Breach

The Delhi High Court addressed the application of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) concerning a 2023 security breach at India's Parliament. Justices Subramonium Prasad and Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar questioned Delhi Police on the necessity of UAPA charges against those arrested during the incident.

In the events leading to the arrests, smoke canisters were reportedly used inside and outside the Parliament, raising questions about their classification as terrorist activities under UAPA. The court emphasized that while the act severely disrupted proceedings, it should not be equated with acts of martyrdom like those performed by Bhagat Singh.

The bench urged that, in the absence of solid evidence justifying UAPA charges, the accused should be granted bail while the trial proceeds. The police argued that the intrusion and smoke release were deliberate acts of terror, even likening it to the magnitude of previous attacks on the Parliament.

(With inputs from agencies.)