Delhi High Court to Hear Neha Bora’s Plea Against ‘Peace’ Bond on October 22

PTI, Oct 21, 2026, New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday said it will hear on October 22 All India Students' Association (AISA) President Neha Bora's plea against a Delhi Police notice asking her to execute a "peace" bond before a Special Executive Magistrate (SEM).

Bora, who has been at the forefront of protests against the alleged irregularities in the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, has sought quashing of the notice and directions to the police not to take any coercive action against her.

Justice Subramonium Prasad deferred hearing on the plea at the request of Bora's counsel. The case was listed after the student leader sought an urgent hearing in the high court, which is shut this week for Dussehra vacation. The notice, issued on October 17 under Section 126 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), asked the student leader to appear before the SEM on October 19 and show cause why she should not execute a personal bond of Rs 10,000 with one surety "for keeping peace for a period of enquiry".

Section 126 empowers the SEM to enforce such bond signing if there is credible information that a person is likely to breach peace, disturb public tranquillity, or commit a wrongful act that may cause disturbance.

Bora was taken into preventive detention on October 16 when she was on her way to join the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP)'s 'Lehra Do Tiranga' march. She was released on October 17. In her petition, settled by lawyer Abhik Chimni, Bora said that the police notice is vague, factually incorrect, and contains no material or information to substantiate the "likelihood" of breach of peace. It does not disclose a "period, occasion or event in relation to which breach is apprehended", the plea argued, and asserted that the proceedings are a "colourable exercise of preventive powers to suppress peaceful dissent, in violation of Articles 19(1)(a), 19(1)(b) and 21 of the Constitution".

The proceedings before the SEM are based on allegations of sloganeering at Mandi House on October 16, repeated protests around Jantar Mantar despite prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS, and instigating people to participate in a protest in Connaught Place on October 16.

"The impugned notice rests on a prima facie incorrect fact, namely that the petitioner instigated people to participate in the demonstration at Central Park, Connaught Place, on 16.10.2026. The petitioner's call and the incident alleged were different. The petitioner called for a peaceful gathering at Mandi House at 5:00 pm on 16.10.2026, and it is a matter of record that she was detained from Mandi House," the petition said.

"That the alleged disregard of 'prohibitory orders 163 BNSS' in the notice does not identify any specific prohibitory order and incident. In fact, the only order on record dated 23.08.2026 does not extend to Mandi House and exempts Jantar Mantar Road," it added.