NEET-UG Paper Leak Protests: Centre Moves Supreme Court to Quash FIRs Against Student Protesters

The Central government on Monday moved an application before the Supreme Court seeking to quash First Information Reports (FIRs) registered against protesters following the nationwide agitations over the NEET-UG examination paper leak. Solicitor General of India (SGI) Tushar Mehta formally mentioned the plea before a bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant. The apex court has scheduled the matter for hearing on Tuesday, September 1.

Plea Invokes Article 142 for Complete Justice

During the brief mention, the Solicitor General urged the top court to exercise its extraordinary constitutional powers under Article 142 to deliver "complete justice" by quashing the FIRs filed across Delhi and several states. Article 142 empowers the Supreme Court to pass necessary decrees or orders to achieve full resolution in matters pending before it. Through this application, the Union government aims to clear student activists and demonstrators of criminal charges stemming from police action during the paper leak demonstrations. SC Refuses Urgent Hearing Against CJP's September 5 Delhi Protest March.

CJP Agitation and Demands

The legal proceedings stem from weeks of intense student-led agitations spearheaded by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Delhi's Jantar Mantar following systemic irregularities and paper leaks in the 2026 NEET-UG exams. The agitation escalated on July 20 during a CJP-organized "Sansad Chalo" (March to Parliament) rally, which saw clashes between student demonstrators and security forces near Constitution Club. Following the march, a CJP delegation met Union authorities to formally submit a list of demands.

Key demands from the CJP delegation included:

• An immediate judicial inquiry into testing irregularities.

• Structural reforms across national examination bodies.

• Unconditional release of detained students and the complete quashing/withdrawal of all FIRs filed against protesters.

Judicial Review of Police Action and FIR Withdrawals

Following petitions raising allegations of excessive police force during the July 20 demonstration, the Supreme Court previously observed that the right to peaceful protest is constitutionally protected. The court subsequently directed states to begin closing or withdrawing cases registered against students, provided they were not involved in grave or heinous criminal offences. No Permission Sought Yet for CJP's September 5 Protest March, Says Delhi Police.

While several state police departments previously submitted that they were identifying demonstrators with serious criminal backgrounds, the Centre’s latest plea seeks a unified mechanism under Article 142 to formally quash cases against peaceful student protesters nationwide.

The Supreme Court will take up the matter on Tuesday to assess the framework for granting relief.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 31, 2026 03:19 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).