NEET protest: Supreme Court clarifies states can close or withdraw FIRs against students

The petitions, including one filed by RJD Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha, seek a direction to states and Union Territories to register FIRs on allegations of police brutality.

While hearing pleas alleging police brutality against NEET protesters in Delhi’s Jantar Mantar and elsewhere, the Supreme Court on Monday clarified that the expression “criminal antecedents” in its earlier order directing the release of students arrested or detained during protests refers only to those involved in grave and serious offences. The court also clarified that the States can close or withdraw the FIRs, in accordance with law, against the students. “It is clarified that the NCT of Delhi or any other states shall be at liberty to close/withdraw FIRs in accordance with law,” the court said in its order.

Previous hearing: The court earlier ordered the release of students arrested or detained during the protests who do not possess any criminal antecedents. “All states are directed to release students below the age of 18 years who have been stated to be arrested/detained during the protests,” the court had said. It also issued notices to Centre, Delhi government and the states of Assam, Bihar, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Kerala. As an interim measure, the court directed authorities to preserve all CCTV footage, drone footage, body camera recordings and wireless communications related to the matter. It also ordered the respondents and police authorities to ensure that the personal information and digital data of individuals captured in the CCTV footage are protected. While allowing Delhi and other states to continue investigating the FIRs already registered, the court restrained them from taking any coercive action against the students. It further directed all states to release students below the age of 18 who were stated to have been arrested or detained during the protests.

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Plea before court: The petitions, including one by RJD Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha, seek a direction to states and Union Territories to register FIRs on allegations of police brutality and disproportionate police action against peaceful protestors between July 20 and July 25. It has sought a probe into these FIRs by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising the Director General of Police and two senior women IPS officers not below the rank of Inspector General of Police, guided by a retired High Court judge and monitored by the Supreme Court.

Live Updates
Aug 3, 2026 01:40 PM IST
NEET Protest Case Hearing Live Updates: Next hearing on August 18

Court to take up the matter for further hearing on August 18 at 2pm.

Aug 3, 2026 01:38 PM IST
NEET Protest Case Hearing Live Updates: Hearing underway

Advocate Vrinda Grover says pellet gun is unfit for use.

Grover: Pellet gun was used in 2010 in Kashmir. There is no standing order by Delhi police mandating use of pellet guns.

CJI: We like to lay down a law later, whether it can be used or not.

Aug 3, 2026 01:37 PM IST
NEET Protest Case Hearing Live Updates: Hearing underway

Senior advocate N Hariharan requests court to transfer plea before Delhi High Court on similar issue.

CJI: Move a formal application

Aug 3, 2026 01:33 PM IST
NEET Protest Case Hearing Live Updates: Hearing underway

Counsel mentions the assault of a lawyer by police.

Aug 3, 2026 01:32 PM IST
NEET Protest Case Hearing Live Updates: Hearing underway

Senior advocate Gopal Sankranarayan and N Hariharan objects to the use of facial recognition to identify protesters.

SG Mehta: It is the beginning point.

Sankranarayan: It's illegal to use facial recognition (to identify protesters).

Aug 3, 2026 01:27 PM IST
NEET Protest Case Hearing Live Updates: Hearing underway

Senior advocate Shyam Divan suggests constitution of an inquiry committee headed by a former CJI

CJI: We are working on it.

Aug 3, 2026 01:26 PM IST
NEET Protest Case Hearing Live Updates: Hearing underway

CJI: We are clarifying two things...It is clarified that the NCT of Delhi or other states are at liberty to close/withdraw (case against students) in accordance with law. The expression criminal antecedents is clarified to mean grave and serious offences.

Aug 3, 2026 01:23 PM IST
NEET Protest Case Hearing Live Updates: Hearing underway

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi also requests the court to clarify its last order on releasing students without 'criminal antecedents.'

Singhvi: I am asking for an addition, excluding petty offences and political protests.

Aug 3, 2026 01:18 PM IST
NEET Protest Case Hearing Live Updates: Hearing underway

Senior advocate Gopal Sankranarayan: Videos are very shocking. Second is the clarification (of the order) we are seeking. Because directions have come from top. Commissioner and IG should cover these points.

Aug 3, 2026 01:15 PM IST
NEET Protest Case Hearing Live Updates: Hearing begins

SG Tushar Mehta: Let them sit with the government instead us throwing options here.

SG Mehta seeks 2-3 days to file a reply.

Aug 3, 2026 01:14 PM IST
NEET Protest Case Hearing Live Updates: Hearing begins

Senior advocate Gopal Sankranarayan asks bench to clarify on 'proceed with investigation' part in its order.

Sankranarayan: There is some misgiving there because your Lordship's order says, "NCT of Delhi and other states may proceed with the investigation of FIRs registered. However, no coercive measures shall be taken against the protesting students." The problem with this observation is that many states and the NCT, when they want to actually proceed with either a withdrawal or any other processes, they feel that your Lordships are telling them, "Go ahead and investigate." So please just clarify that. Just clarify that, so that it won't stand in the way.

Aug 3, 2026 01:13 PM IST
NEET Protest Case Hearing Live Updates: Hearing begins

Advocate Vrinda Grover: Both on behalf of the CJP and some other student protesters, we are in communication both with the learned SG as well as they are in communication with the government. They are trying to resolve matters. These concerns, as we know young students, they have their life ahead. They need to move on and look forward to taking their life forward. This was about improving an education system. Whether the correct legal subject to what the court guides us, whether it would be withdrawal or quashing of FIRs. My Lords, because what has happened, I have with me an FIR from Patna, which names 142 people, and then says 5,000 unknown. What happens is that this catch-all category then becomes a reason to pick up and arrest various people.

Therefore, whether even in quashing, today we have Bihar, Bengal, Assam, UP, Delhi. In Delhi, there are 13 FIRs to my knowledge. Whether after this has been worked out with the state, we would come back before the court for any kind of quashing, whether a comprehensive legal mechanism can then be invoked.

SG Tushar Mehta: Government stands on the commitment. But those who had criminal antecedents, which had shown murder, dacoity, POCSO, this, that, and others, and obviously, students would not know who infiltrate them. They are about 2,500 and odd. So except them everything can be taken care of.

CJI: One mechanism is to gather information from all the states also how many FIR in the other states have been lodged and how many FIR is in Delhi. Then the second exercise will have to be of segregation of those.

SG Tushar Mehta: Closure report is one option. All of us need to understand there will be some people who like to keep pot boiling. When we take legal advice we need to be careful. When I discussed with Ms. Grover, we were on the same page on, on all issues.

Court: What both of you agree on, we can engender and enable that process. FIRs kept up could not stand hanging over students.

Aug 3, 2026 01:09 PM IST
NEET Protest Case Hearing Live Updates: Hearing begins

SG Tushar Mehta: The question which was being discussed was the semantics, whether it would be permissible under the law to withdraw the FIR or some other methodologies to be adopted to fulfil that. I had a discussion with Ms. Vrinda Grover, and I have a reason to believe that she was also in touch with those who were leading the protest. So, we are working on that, but I would suggest, subject to what she says, that if those who are leading the protest are again in touch with the government, then semantics can be worked out.

Court: Within the legal architecture is possible.

SG Mehta: We have examined, it is not possible.

Aug 3, 2026 01:09 PM IST
NEET Protest Case Hearing Live Updates: Hearing begins

Senior advocate Gopal Sankranarayan: They have not filed affidavit.

Aug 3, 2026 01:07 PM IST
NEET Protest Case Hearing Live Updates: Hearing begins

Hearing begins

Aug 3, 2026 12:37 PM IST
NEET Protest Case Hearing Live Updates: Hearing shortly

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant to shortly hear a batch of petitions alleging police brutality against NEET protesters in Delhi’s Jantar Mantar and elsewhere.

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