Symbolic Protest Through Smoke Canisters Does Not Amount to 'Terrorist Act' Under UAPA: Delhi High Court Grants Bail - 2025-07-02

Beyond the Smoke: Delhi High Court Decouples Political Protest from Terrorism in Parliament Breach Case

In a significant legal development addressing the sensitivity of national security and the limits of dissent, the Delhi High Court has granted bail to two individuals involved in the December 2023 incident where smoke canisters were deployed within and around the Indian Parliament. The order, delivered by a bench comprising Justice Subramonium Prasad and Justice Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar , clarifies the application of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) when characterizing acts of protest.

The Backdrop: A Symbolic Breach

On December 13, 2023—the 22nd anniversary of the 2001 Parliament terror attack—a coordinated attempt to gain media attention culminated in individuals infiltrating the public gallery of the Lok Sabha and deploying yellow smoke canisters. Outside the building, others replicated the act. The Prosecution alleged a premeditated conspiracy to stir terror and “overawe” the government, invoking stringent sections of the UAPA.

Conflicting Visions of Justice

The Appellants challenged their continued incarceration, arguing that their actions, while perhaps misplaced, were essentially a form of political protest. Their counsel highlighted that no physical injuries occurred and argued the pamphlets dropped during the act—quoting revolutionary figures like Chandra Shekhar Azad—were patriotic, not terror-oriented.

Conversely, the State, represented by the Additional Solicitor General, maintained a firm stance. The State argued that the choice of date and venue, coupled with the "noxious" nature of the yellow smoke, constituted a deliberate attempt to strike terror and disrupt the democratic functioning of the State, thereby fitting the definition of a terrorist act under Section 15 of the UAPA.

Parsing the "Terrorist Act"

The Court's legal analysis focused on whether the accusation was “prima facie true” under the guidelines of NIA v. Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali and Vernon v. State of Maharashtra . The judiciary emphasized that, while the act of protesting in Parliament was undeniably a security breach and a highly deprecable choice of venue, it did not automatically translate to a "terrorist act."

The Court distinguished between dangerous explosives and the smoke canisters used, noting that such items are market-accessible and commonly used in festivals and sporting events. Critically, the Court observed that the lack of any underlying intent to threaten the sovereignty or integrity of India made the invocation of the UAPA problematic for the purpose of denying bail.

Key Observations

The judgment provides a vital touchstone for future cases concerning the limits of anti-terror laws:

• "The activities of the Appellants are of the nature of propagation of ideological messages and in the opinion of this Court prima facie do not constitute a terrorist act and does not satisfy the ingredients of Section 15 or 18 of UAPA Act."
• "The use of canisters which emitted yellow smoke alone does not raise a prima facie case against the Appellants and as to whether those canisters could have acted as explosives or not will be tested in trial."
• "This case at this juncture appears to be a case of protest and political dissent. Even though the choice and the place of the protest is highly deprecable, it cannot be said that ingredients of UAPA are attracted while considering the issue of grant of bail."

The Verdict and Its Impact

By granting bail, the Court has drawn a clear line: while disruptive protests inside high-security zones are a violation of law, they must be prosecuted under appropriate penal statutes rather than being automatically shoehorned into the UAPA.

The Appellants were released on conditions including the furnishing of security, a ban on media interviews, and strict restrictions on social media activity regarding the incident. This ruling serves as a reminder to investigating agencies that the "prima facie" test under UAPA requires a nexus with the specific intent to strike terror, a threshold that cannot be presumed based on the notoriety of an incident alone. Legal observers note that this decision may likely influence the defense strategies in future cases involving politically motivated acts of civil disobedience.