NEET-UG Protest Cases: Supreme Court Orders Closure Of FIRs Against Students In Maharashtra And Other States

Mumbai: A sense of relief spread among the students facing criminal cases for participating in protests held between July 20 and 25 over the NEET-UG issue have received major relief, with the Supreme Court directing that the FIRs registered in connection with the demonstrations be closed.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana, exercised the court's powers under Article 142 of the Constitution while passing the order.

SC Uses Article 142 Powers

The ruling brings relief to students in Maharashtra as well as those involved in similar protests in Delhi, Bihar, West Bengal and Assam. Maharashtra had approached the Supreme Court seeking the closure of 34 FIRs registered in connection with the protests.

Mumbai FIRs Also Covered

In Mumbai, cases related to the demonstrations included FIRs registered at police stations covering protest sites such as Shivaji Park and Azad Maidan.

The Supreme Court has also directed that fresh FIRs should not be registered in connection with protests conducted during the specified July 20-25 period.

Relief Limited To Peaceful Protesters

The court's intervention comes after the issue of criminal cases against students became a matter of concern amid protests over the NEET-UG examination. The proceedings had seen the Centre and states place before the court the steps being taken to provide relief to students who participated in the demonstrations.

The relief, however, does not extend to individuals involved in serious criminal offences. The court has allowed proceedings to continue in a Delhi case involving 2,873 people who were present at the Jantar Mantar protest and were identified as having serious criminal antecedents.

The Supreme Court has also made it clear that its order has been passed considering the particular circumstances of the matter and should not be treated as a precedent for other cases.

During the proceedings, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the court that the Centre would formulate a policy within three months to provide compensation to the families of students who died by suicide following the cancellation of NEET-UG 2026.

For students in Maharashtra who had faced FIRs following the July protests, the order effectively removes the immediate criminal proceedings arising from their participation in the demonstrations. It also puts the focus back on the authorities to ensure that future student protests are handled in accordance with law while distinguishing peaceful participation from serious criminal conduct.

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