SC refuses plea against Delhi, states imposing security law during protests

The National Security Act allows police to detain a person for 12 months without trial.

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a plea challenging the imposition of the National Security Act (NSA) in few states and the national capital amid protests against the new citizenship law.

A bench of Justices Arun Mishra and Indira Banerjee said that it cannot pass a blanket order about the NSA, which allows police to detain a person for 12 months without trial, and asked lawyer M L Sharma to withdraw the plea.

The bench asked Sharma to file a fresh petition or an interim application in pending pleas on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) giving specific details of violations of NSA.

Sharma's plea questioned the imposition of the NSA, saying it has been done to curb and pressure people protesting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, National Population Register (NPR) and National Register of Indian Citizens (NRIC).

Delhi's Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal on January 10 extended detaining powers to Delhi Police under the NSA for a three-month period starting January 19.