Overview

• The Supreme Court ordered Annu’s immediate release from Bhopal Central Jail after ruling that his preventive detention under Section 3 of the National Security Act failed to meet legal standards.
• Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and K. Vinod Chandran described the July 11, 2024 detention order and its four subsequent extensions as “wholly untenable.”
• The bench pointed to multiple procedural breaches, including the District Collector’s failure to forward the student’s representation to the state government.
• The student had secured bail in his underlying criminal case on January 28, 2025, and remained in custody solely due to the NSA detention order.
• The court said a detailed reasoned judgment will be issued in due course, highlighting the need to balance state security measures with fundamental rights.