Behind the stringent charges is the police claim that the riots were not organic but rather premeditated. Police have alleged that an “organised syndicate of outsiders” orchestrated the violence – a charge denied by the families of those arrested.Exactly a month since the workers’ protest in Noida, which turned violent on April 13, two accused – Aakriti Chaudhary (25), a history graduate from Delhi University who hails from Durgapur in West Bengal, and a former journalist from Lucknow, Satyam Verma – have been booked under the stringent National Security Act (NSA).“The two have been identified as active members of the Mazdoor Bigul Dasta and were found to have played a significant role in the violence, arson, and disorder during the protest,” the police claimed on Wednesday, adding that they allegedly incited people in different parts of the district and attempted to disrupt public order. Meanwhile, the court reserved the orders in 31 bail applications filed by people who were arrested in connection with the violence, Additional District Government Counsel (crime) Dharmendra Jaint confirmed.The Noida police also requested a three-day police custody for some of the accused, which the court listed for hearing on May 15.The protests and the violence that followed had prompted a police crackdown that led to 15 FIRs in which hundreds of people were booked and at least 60 put in jail. A month on, families of the accused – from a mason to a history major, from an NIT graduate to a private firm employee – say they are awaiting clarity on what happens next.While 1,200 people had been detained in the wake of the protests, most were released in subsequent days, while around 60 remain in jail, facing charges ranging from rioting to attempt to murder. A total of 15 cases were lodged in connection with the protests and violence, Gautam Budh Nagar Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Rajeev Narain Mishra said.Behind the stringent charges is the police claim that the riots were not organic but rather premeditated. Police have alleged that an “organised syndicate of outsiders” orchestrated the violence – a charge denied by the families of those arrested.The family of Aakriti Chaudhary, against whom the police invoked the NSA on Wednesday, claimed she was picked up from the Botanical Garden Metro station in Noida on April 11. Police had said she was initially detained for disturbing the peace and public disorder under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, adding, “After taking her into custody, we investigated and found evidence of her involvement in organising the protest.”= Charges against her also include attempted murder, intent to cause death or grievous harm during the incident, endangering life or personal safety, and criminal conspiracy.Story continues below this adChaudhary’s father, Arun Chaudhary, works for Ganashakti, the Communist Party of India mouthpiece. He asked how someone who was picked up on April 11 could be charged with violence that occurred two days later. “If the police are targeting certain ideologies, I myself hold some of them. What is wrong with having them? I’m proud that my daughter was raising her voice for workers’ rights. She is the Bhagat Singh of today. She’s still bold, and whenever we meet her in jail, she tells me not to lose hope. There is such heavy police deployment whenever I meet her, as if our children are terrorists,” he said.Along with Chaudhary, two others — Shristi Gupta (25) of Amethi and Rupesh Roi from Bihar — were arrested on the same charges. While Roi’s family was unavailable for comment, Gupta’s advocate, Rajnish Yadav, said that PhD students and social workers were simply “helping out” the workers. He, too, asked why Gupta was charged for the violence that occurred two days later. “When these students and social workers heard the plight of the labourers, they came out in their support through speeches and street plays. Just like during the farmers’ protests, when people came from far-off places to show solidarity, these people too showed their support,” he claimed.Lucknow-based journalist Satyam Verma, the second person against whom the NSA was invoked, was picked up from his residence. His friend, Katyayani (67), said Verma worked for 15 years as a journalist in Delhi and Lucknow in Univarta, and is the editor of “Bhagat Singh aur Unke Sathiyon ke Sampurna Uplabdh Dastavez” (The Complete Available Works of Bhagat Singh and his Comrades).He has also translated many literary works, she said.Asad Rehman is with the national bureau of The Indian Express and covers politics and policy focusing on religious minorities in India. A journalist for over eight years, Rehman moved to this role after covering Uttar Pradesh for five years for The Indian Express. During his time in Uttar Pradesh, he covered politics, crime, health, and human rights among other issues. He did extensive ground reports and covered the protests against the new citizenship law during which many were killed in the state. During the Covid pandemic, he did extensive ground reporting on the migration of workers from the metropolitan cities to villages in Uttar Pradesh. He has also covered some landmark litigations, including the Babri Masjid-Ram temple case and the ongoing Gyanvapi-Kashi Vishwanath temple dispute. Prior to that, he worked on The Indian Express national desk for three years where he was a copy editor. Rehman studied at La Martiniere, Lucknow and then went on to do a bachelor's degree in History from Ramjas College, Delhi University. He also has a Masters degree from the AJK Mass Communication Research Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia. ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:National security ActNoida