The Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed the Allahabad High Court’s order to the Uttar Pradesh Government to pay a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to a student ‘wrongfully’ detained under the National Security Act (NSA) and deduct it from the salary of Gautam Buddh Nagar District Magistrate Medha Roopam and other officers concerned.“After hearing learned senior counsels for the parties, this court is of the opinion that till the matter is heard on merits, the operation of the impugned judgment, particularly, para Nos. 27 to 33 shall remain stayed,” a Bench led by CJI Surya Kant said.Asking the respondents to file their replies to Roopam’s petition in two weeks, the Bench posted the matter for further hearing on October 7. Akriti Chaudhary – a 25-year-old history graduate from Delhi University — was arrested along with several other activists in connection with cases arising from the Noida workers’ protest in April 2026 for higher wages. The UP Police subsequently invoked the NSA against her and activist-journalist Satya Verma on May 13.On September 2, the Allahabad High Court quashed Akriti’s detention under the NSA in relation to workers’ protest in Noida in April and strongly criticised the manner in which the detention order was passed by the Noida District Magistrate.Allowing Akriti’s habeas corpus petition challenging her arrest, the high court concluded that the detention was based on a story “concocted” by the state and directed her immediate release if her arrest was not warranted in any other case.“The District Magistrate Gautam Buddha Nagar is guilty of violating her oath of allegiance, making this a fit case for the imposition of compensation to the petitioner,” the High Court had said, warning that continued “despotic” conduct by “errant” bureaucracy could reduce Uttar Pradesh to an Orwellian Dystopia.It had awarded Rs 5 lakh compensation to Chaudhary and directed that the amount be recovered from the salary of the Gautam Buddha Nagar DM, who passed the detention order, and other officers responsible right down to the SHO.“In this case, the conduct of the District Magistrate Gautam Buddha Nagar who passed the impugned order, is worthy of derision,” the HC said.The high court made several significant observations on the roles of the bureaucracy and the police. Officers are entrusted with immense powers because they bear responsibility for upholding the constitutional and legal rights, dignity, honour and welfare of citizens, who were “the masters in a democracy”.Bureaucrats must remember that their “loyalty is towards the constitution and not the political executive”, the high court had said, adding its displeasure against the DM and police officers involved in preparing the dossier to be recorded in their service records.