The Allahabad High Court’s sharp criticism of Gautam Buddha Nagar District Magistrate Medha Roopam has once again put the Noida administration under scrutiny. The court, while quashing the detention of 25-year-old Delhi University graduate Akriti Chaudhary, called Roopam’s conduct “despotic” and said the detention was based on a “concocted story”. Chaudhary had spent around five months in judicial custody after being detained under the National Security Act (NSA) in connection with the April 2026 Noida workers’ protest.
The latest controversy has also renewed attention on the officer’s background and other actions that have drawn criticism. Roopam, a 2014-batch IAS officer who secured AIR 10 in UPSC 2013, is also a national-level rifle shooter. She became Noida’s first woman District Magistrate in August 2025.
1. NSA detention of Delhi University graduate Akriti Chaudhary
As per reports, the High Court bench of Justice Atul Sreedharan and Justice Achal Sachdev ordered Chaudhary’s immediate release and awarded her Rs 5 lakh compensation. It directed that the amount be recovered from the salaries of every officer responsible, “right down to the SHO”.
The court said the conduct of the Gautam Buddha Nagar DM was “worthy of derision” and observed that Roopam “desired to set an example” out of Chaudhary to deter others from protesting or supporting protesting workers.
Reportedly, the judges also referred to George Orwell’s 1984 and Animal Farm, warning that “it shan’t be long before the errant in the bureaucracy reduce the State of Uttar Pradesh to an Orwellian Dystopia”. The bench further said bureaucrats and police officers who act against their oath could be viewed as an “oppressive vestige of the British Empire”.
The court noted that the police report contained allegations against Chaudhary, but said it was the DM’s responsibility to examine the record “threadbare” before imposing stringent action such as the NSA.
2. Handling of the Noida workers’ protest
Chaudhary was arrested on April 12, 2026, with the state counsel alleging that she had instigated the mob to resort to arson and stone-pelting. The NSA, 1980 was subsequently invoked against her. However, the judges noted that a proper notice under Section 126 of the BNSS had not been served before her arrest.
The general strike by the workers in Noida had become violent in April due to acts such as stone-pitching and vandalism. The local government was accused of poor handling of the matter since some questions were raised about whether the needs of the workers had been met prior to the violence.
3. Response to the death of software engineer Yuvraj Mehta
Yuvraj Mehta, who worked as a software engineer, died when his car fell into a waterlogged pit in January 2026. Medha Roopam was criticized for her handling of the situation since she went to the spot where the incident occurred four days later but did not speak to the media.
The incident triggered questions about civic infrastructure, waterlogging and the administration’s response to complaints about dangerous road conditions.
4. FIRs against Booth Level Officers
Another controversial action came when Roopam’s administration registered criminal FIRs against more than 60 Booth Level Officers and supervisors across three police stations.
The cases were filed under Section 32 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, citing negligence during intensive electoral-roll matching. The action drew criticism because of the large number of officials named in the cases and the use of criminal proceedings over alleged lapses in electoral work.
5. Allegations of political shielding and family influence
Roopam is the daughter of Gyanesh Kumar, a 1988-batch Kerala-cadre IAS officer and India’s 26th Chief Election Commissioner. Born in Agra in 1964, Kumar spent 35 years in administration and held key positions in the Home Ministry, where he was involved in the abrogation of Article 370, drafting the J&K Reorganisation Act and establishing the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
An IIT Kanpur civil engineering graduate, Kumar also received postgraduate training from ICFAI and Harvard. He served as Secretary in the Ministries of Parliamentary Affairs and Cooperation, retired in January 2024, joined the Election Commission and became CEC in February 2025. His tenure runs until January 2029, covering the next Lok Sabha elections.
Critics and opposition parties have alleged that the Uttar Pradesh government shielded Medha Roopam from stronger accountability and fast-tracked her prominent postings because of her family connections. These remain allegations raised by her critics.
The latest High Court order, however, has brought renewed focus on her administrative decisions and the way her office has handled contentious cases.
Also Read: Who Is Neha Jha? Model-Looking Smuggler Held With 75 Litres Of Liquor In Bihar Train
Khalid Lateef is a Sub-Editor at NewsX Digital, specializing in Indian politics and global affairs. He also covers viral trending stories and major crime developments.
