SC to states: drop NEET protest FIRs
Chief Justice Surya Kant’s bench heard the NEET-UG protest cases again. The Solicitor General told the Court the BJP-led Centre won’t pursue student FIRs barring those with “grave, heinous” criminal antecedents. Listing is for August 18.
The Supreme Court heard petitions on FIRs linked to NEET-UG protests and listed the matter for August 18.
The Supreme Court on August 3 heard petitions on police action during NEET-UG 2026 protests and, per court reporting, indicated states can close or withdraw FIRs against student protesters who don’t have “criminal antecedents” for grave and heinous offences. The Union government’s stand was put on record by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who told the bench the BJP-led Centre would not pursue such FIRs except in those grave cases. The matter is listed next on August 18. (According to the reporting reviewed, no official order was publicly available at time of writing.)
This follows the Court’s July 28 interim directions protecting students from coercive action for now, ordering release of detainees without criminal pasts and of minors, and directing preservation of protest footage and police records. The bench comprises Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana.
Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan told the Court petitioners had submitted around 300 videos of alleged excess, including use of pellet guns, and flagged “un-uniformed” individuals in the footage. Earlier, Bihar said it would start dropping cases and releasing detainees tied to the protests; other states now have little excuse to drag their feet while the Centre talks non-prosecution in Delhi. If the Congress-run states want to defend lathi charges on students, they can try doing it before the same bench on August 18.