Guwahati: The Supreme Court on Tuesday quashed all FIRs registered against students who participated in protests over the NEET-UG paper leak, exercising its extraordinary powers under Article 142 of the Constitution.
The order followed applications moved by Delhi Police and the governments of Maharashtra, Assam, Bihar and West Bengal seeking the quashing of cases against protesters. The Bench, headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, said it was invoking Article 142 in view of the future of students who had participated in the protests.
“All FIRs mentioned are hereby quashed,” the Bench said. It further directed that any FIR registered in any other State or Union Territory in connection with the same protests between July 20 and 25, but not brought before the court, should not be pursued or investigated and would be treated as closed.
The court, however, permitted the Centre to register fresh cases against 2,873 people with criminal records who were found among the protesters in Delhi.
The Supreme Court also directed the Centre to formulate a pan-India policy for providing compensation to NEET aspirants who died by suicide following the cancellation of the examination. The compensation is to be paid within three months.
The ruling came amid the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) decision to withdraw its planned protest march in Delhi on September 5. The withdrawal followed the Centre’s assurances and the court’s decision to quash the FIRs.
CJP co-convenor Saurav Das thanked the Bench, which also comprised Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana, and said the order was significant for the protesters.
The CJP had announced the September 5 march after accusing the Centre of failing to honour its July 25 assurances on withdrawing cases against protesters. The withdrawal of the cases was among the group’s key demands during its 36-day agitation over alleged irregularities in examinations and the NEET-UG paper leak.
During Tuesday’s hearing, the court also directed that no state or Union Territory register fresh FIRs in connection with protests held between July 20 and 25.
Delhi Police had approached the court on Monday, citing “public and national interest”, and said it no longer wished to pursue or investigate FIRs registered in connection with the CJP protests during that period.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that Maharashtra, Assam, Bihar and West Bengal had also moved applications seeking the quashing of FIRs.
The Supreme Court is also hearing petitions seeking a probe into alleged excesses by security forces during the CJP-led march to Parliament on July 20.