Big Relief For NEET Protestors As Supreme Court Closes FIRs, Centre Assures No Future Cases

SC QUASHES FIRs AGAINST NEET PAPER LEAK PROTESTORS, But 2873 With Criminal Record To Face Fresh FIR’s

Supreme Court Invokes Article 142 To Quash FIRs Against NEET Protestors, Clears Students

NEET PROTEST ROW ENDS: Centre Keeps Promise – No FIRs From July 20-25 To Be Pursued

In a major relief for students, the Supreme Court on Monday closed the FIRs registered against protestors of the NEET paper leak agitation.

The Centre had moved an application before the CJI Surya Kant-led bench seeking quashing of FIRs registered against the students.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the bench that the government stands firm on the three assurances given to the protest leaders after a high-level meeting:

1.  FIRs filed against protestors between July 20-25 will not be pursued,
2.  No future FIRs will be filed in connection with the protest,
3.  Compensation will be paid to the families of students who lost their lives.

Invoking its extraordinary powers under *Article 142* to do complete justice, the Court was urged to quash the FIRs listed in the chart.

On the question of criminal elements at the protest site, the SG submitted that Delhi Police has identified *2,873 individuals* with serious criminal antecedents as per the NCRB database who were prima facie present at the protest site and allegedly involved in destruction of public property.

Fresh FIRs will be registered against these individuals, not for participating in the protest, but for other serious offences, the SG clarified.

SG Mehta told the court, _“There were some misapprehensions on what to do with the FIRs… we have instructions that the government is serious on the commitment.”_

He added that persons with antecedents of rape, murder, POCSO and other heinous offences would not be spared.

Clarifying its earlier order, the bench observed: _“The term criminal antecedents in our previous order is clarified to mean grave and heinous offences.”_