Top News

Patna: The Bihar government announced on Monday, July 27, that it will withdraw all cases lodged against protesters over the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) paper leak and release those jailed under various charges.

A statement to this effect was issued late in the evening by the state’s Home Department, which said that “no adverse legal action – punitive/retaliatory – shall be taken by the government against any individual participating in the protests before 6 pm on 26.07.2026”.

According to the police, altogether 694 people had been detained for enforcing the Bihar bandh called on July 25 by pro-Left students’ unions, and after letting off 339 minors, the remaining 355 were booked under relevant laws and were to face trial before the courts concerned.

Those who were arrested in connection with the unrest that began in the state on July 22, when a procession taken out by activists of the All India Students’ Association (AISA) managed to reach close to the chief minister’s residence, include CPI(ML) Liberation MLA Sandeep Saurav – who was picked up a day before the bandh – and former state minister Tej Pratap Yadav – who was taken into custody on Saturday evening for trying to enforce the shutdown.

The statement made it clear that the “legal process for withdrawal of all FIRs, criminal complaints and show-cause notices” against individuals who took part in the protests “will be initiated immediately”.

“Furthermore, all the persons arrested/detained in connection with the cases…shall be released immediately,” and “no action, directly or indirectly, will be taken against such individuals in the future as well,” it said.

The announcement came barely a few hours after AISA president Neha Bora, who was among those spearheading the protests at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, called on Bihar DGP Vinay Kumar and submitted a memorandum seeking withdrawal of all cases and release of those arrested.

She had also told reporters that the state could witness “protests on the scale of Jantar Mantar in Delhi” if the demands were not met and voiced surprise that the Samrat Choudhary government in Bihar was acting in a high-handed manner “even as the Union government has assured there will be no coercive action”.

Meanwhile, CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, to whose party AISA is affiliated, expressed delight over the development.

Bhattacharya, who had taken part in the protests at Jantar Mantar, shared screenshots of the Bihar Home Department statement on X, saying “another retreat for the BJP, victory for the people”.

Left-wing student organisations held demonstrations across Bihar on July 25, some of which turned violent, in support of the statewide bandh against the NEET paper leak issue and police action on protesting students.

The Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, had also demanded the release of all protesters detained and arrested during the Bihar bandh.

Assam govt to withdraw cases on NEET UG protesters

The Assam government has decided to withdraw all criminal cases registered in connection with protests over alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG examination, besides reviewing the arrests made and releasing those detained, according to an official order issued by the Home and Political Department.

The decision was announced through a press release issued by the Political Department on Sunday, stating that as of 6 p.m. on July 26, a total of five cases had been registered across the state in connection with protests over the alleged irregularities in the medical entrance examination.

The government said the cases had resulted in the arrest of 13 persons. After reviewing the circumstances surrounding the protests and taking into account the need to strengthen accountability and undertake systemic reforms in the examination and higher education ecosystem, the state government decided not to pursue further legal action against those involved.

According to the order, no adverse legal action will be initiated by any police authority in Assam against persons who participated in the protests covered under the registered cases. The government also directed that the process for withdrawing all the registered cases, irrespective of the stage of legal proceedings, should be initiated promptly in accordance with the law.

In addition, authorities have been instructed to review all arrests and detentions made in connection with these cases and expedite the release of the arrested persons.

The order further stated that the government does not propose to take any further adverse action against individuals involved in the protests and that the matter would be treated as closed, with no future proceedings on this account.

Additional Chief Secretary Ajay Tewari signed the press release to the Government of Assam, Home and Political Department.

The decision comes amid nationwide concerns over alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG examination, which had triggered protests in several parts of the country, including Assam. Student organisations and civil society groups had demanded a fair and transparent examination process and accountability for those responsible for the alleged lapses.

The Assam government’s latest move is expected to bring relief to those facing legal proceedings over the protests while signalling a conciliatory approach as broader reforms in the examination system continue to be discussed.

No protester will be left alone: CJP

Amid the withdrawal of cases against protesters in Bihar and Assam, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has reiterated that no protester who participated in the demonstration against the NEET paper leak would be left alone.

In a statement, the CJP said, “We are all in this together.” The statement came after a late-night meeting between the CJP and the government representative.

In a post on X, CJP spokesperson Saurav Das said that the government had reiterated its commitment to withdrawing cases against protesters, releasing those detained and ensuring similar protections through notifications from the Union government and other BJP/NDA-ruled states.

“Hours after our press conference, government representatives met us. The meeting lasted for 2-3 hours. They shared copies of the Bihar and Assam notifications guaranteeing FIR withdrawals, no action in future, and release of all detainees and arrestees,” read the post.

He said that the government had reiterated its promise to issue similar guarantee notifications from the Union government and other BJP or NDA-ruled states.

“Hopefully, the agreed-upon language shall be used. No protester will be left alone. We are all in this together,” he said.

In a video message posted after the meeting, Das said CJP leaders had conveyed their concerns that promises made by the government might not be implemented.

“We told them that we were worried the assurances given by the government may not be fulfilled. In response, they brought along the Bihar Home Department’s press release stating that all FIRs against protesters would be withdrawn and that no action would be taken against them in the future,” he said.

Das said discussions also focused on getting similar notifications issued by other state governments to ensure protesters do not face legal trouble.

Face scans lead Delhi Police to those with ‘criminal records’

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police has gone through CCTV footage while probing the chaos at Jantar Mantar on July 20 and 22 amid the face-off between the protesters and the cops, according to media reports. Both sides have accused the other of using brute force and causing injuries.

The footage reportedly showed many people with criminal histories also actively participating in the agitation. Reports say that the police have identified as many as 2,873 people using facial-recognition systems.

Of these, 989 have criminal records, including murder, rape, kidnapping, robbery, and cases filed under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, sources said. This was done via cross-matching with the police’s database, they said.

The Delhi Police is now investigating whether these individuals were actively involved in violence or were a part of an organised network that played a role.

With inputs from agencies