Supreme Court Quashes FIRs Against NEET Protesters as CJP Calls Off Planned March

The Supreme Court of India quashed all first information reports (FIRs) registered across the country against protesters involved in the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) led demonstrations following the NEET-UG 2026 question paper leak. Invoking its extraordinary powers under Article 142 of the Constitution, a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant ordered that FIRs related to protests held between July 20 and July 25 be closed for all intents and purposes. The court stated that the decision was intended to ensure that criminal cases did not harm the future prospects of the young protesters and that mere participation in a protest should not be treated as a penal offense.

The order followed applications from the Union government and four BJP-ruled states: Maharashtra, Assam, Bihar, and West Bengal. While the court granted broad relief, it carved out an exception for 2,873 individuals identified by facial recognition technology as having serious criminal antecedents. The Delhi Police is permitted to file a fresh and specific FIR against these individuals to investigate their roles in potential bodily harm or destruction of public property.

In response to the court's order and assurances from the Union government, CJP co-convenor Saurav Das announced the withdrawal of a planned march from India Gate to the Delhi Police headquarters scheduled for September 5. The government also committed to framing a pan-India policy to compensate the families of students who died by suicide following the paper leaks, with payments to be made within three months.

Outlets with a center-right lean emphasized the government's commitment to honoring its assurances and the need to sieve out pernicious elements with criminal records. In contrast, outlets with a left lean highlighted the previous crackdown by police, including the use of tear gas and pellet guns, and noted that the CJP had previously accused the government of playing delay games regarding its commitments.