Supreme Court directs the release of student protesters below 18 years and those having no criminal record
Jul 28, 2026
The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the release of student protesters who are below 18 years of age and those with no criminal record, while hearing a batch of petitions alleging excessive use of police force during the recent nationwide protests over the NEET paper leak.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana issued a series of interim directions. The Court ordered all states where the protests took place to preserve CCTV footage, drone recordings, body-camera footage, wireless communication records, PCR logs and other electronic and digital evidence related to the demonstrations.
The bench also directed that any digital data collected on protesters be preserved but not made public.
The Court restrained authorities from taking any coercive action against eligible protesting students during the pendency of the proceedings. However, it clarified that the protection would not apply to individuals with criminal antecedents.
The Supreme Court permitted the Delhi government to continue its investigation into the FIRs registered in connection with the protests but reiterated that no coercive action should be taken against eligible student protesters.
The bench also sought responses from the Chief Secretaries of Delhi, Maharashtra, Bihar, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh on the allegations raised in the petitions.
Observing that the allegations of injuries to both students and police personnel warranted serious consideration, the Court said there was a need for a fair and independent investigation. It noted that the probe should also address the concerns of the families of more than 200 police personnel reportedly injured during the protests.
During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted that while students would not engage in violence against police personnel, some miscreants were involved in the incidents.
