Bihar Students Resume Protest Over NEET Leak Cases, Police Use Water Cannons In Patna

Hundreds of students and youth activists staged a protest in Patna on Tuesday, alleging that the Bihar government had failed to fulfil its assurance to release students arrested during last month's demonstrations over the alleged NEET paper leak.

According to a TOI) report, police used water cannons after protesters attempted to march towards the residence of Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary. The demonstrators had assembled at Gandhi Maidan before heading towards the chief minister's residence while carrying the flags of organisations such as the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), the All India Students' Federation (AISF) and the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI).

Security personnel stopped the march near the Income Tax roundabout, about two kilometres from the chief minister's residence. Protesters demanded the release of students who remain in custody and the withdrawal of cases registered against those arrested during the statewide agitation.

One protester told PTI that the demonstrators were seeking a verified list of students who had been released and those who were still in jail.

Nearly 600 people were reportedly detained during last month's bandh, which was organised to demand the resignation of former Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged paper leak. About half of those detained were later released after police identified them as minors, while others were sent to jail.

Although the state Home Department later announced that the cases would be withdrawn, protesters claimed the promise had not been honoured.

Independent MP Pappu Yadav and Bihar Congress chief Rajesh Ram also joined the protest. Police officials maintained that force was used only after demonstrators attempted to enter a restricted area. Sub-Divisional Police Officer Amarendra Kumar Jha said a delegation of protesters had been allowed to present its grievances before the authorities.