The Supreme Court on Tuesday quashed FIRs registered against students who protested the Neet paper leak in Delhi and other states between July 20 and July 25. It further directed that any FIR relating to the same protests that was not brought before the court should not be pursued or investigated and must be treated as closed, LiveLaw reported.
The order was passed after applications seeking quashing of FIRs were filed by the Centre, through Delhi Police, and Bihar, West Bengal, Maharashtra and Assam. Although the applications were filed by these parties, the Supreme Court extended the order to all states and Union Territories.
Supreme Court invokes Article 142
The Bench, comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, invoked the Supreme Court’s special powers under Article 142 of the Constitution.
“Keeping in view future of young protestors who bonafidely came to protest, we find it a fit case to invoke Art. 142. These applications are allowed,” the order read, as reported by LiveLaw.
FIR against 2,873 individuals to continue
The top court, however, allowed Delhi Police to pursue one FIR against 2,873 people present at the Jantar Mantar protests, citing their serious criminal antecedents.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had earlier told the court that cases could be quashed except those involving 2,873 individuals with serious criminal cases, including murder, rape and abduction, as reported by LiveLaw.
Centre assures compensation
Mehta told the Supreme Court that the Centre was committed to honouring its assurance to provide compensation to the families of students who died by suicide following the cancellation of the Neet-UG 2026 examination. He sought three months to work out the modalities for the compensation, the report said.
The applications seeking withdrawal of the cases were filed following assurances given by the central government to leaders of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which led the anti-Neet protests in New Delhi.
CJP withdraws September 5 march
Following the court’s order, CJP spokesperson Saurav Das told the Bench that the organisation was withdrawing its proposed September 5 protest march in Delhi.
Reading out a statement on behalf of the CJP, Das said: “As co-convener of the CJP, I want to state that in view of the positive assurances of the Government of India and the judicial sanctity bestowed upon them today, and in view of the order being passed by this Court, the CJP deems it appropriate to withdraw the call for the march on September 5 and looks forward to compliance with today’s order.”
