New Delhi: The Supreme Court agreed to hear on Tuesday, September 1, a plea filed by the Centre seeking to quash the first information reports (FIRs) registered against students who participated in the NEET examination paper leak protests.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana took note of the submission by Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta, who mentioned the matter, seeking urgent hearing.
As the bench was about to rise after the day’s proceedings, Mehta said, “We want to move an IA (interlocutory application). It’s regarding that protest for quashing of FIRs… We are invoking Article 142 (of the Constitution).”
Article 142 of the Indian Constitution gives the Supreme Court the power to pass any order or decree needed to provide complete justice in any case before it.
The top court remarked that if parties are reconciling, it has no problem and agreed to list the matter for hearing on Tuesday.
The development assumes significance as the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has called for a protest march in Delhi, accusing the Centre of failing to honour the promises made on July 25 to persuade the group to withdraw its 36-day agitation over examination irregularities.
According to the CJP, the march is scheduled to take place on Teachers’ Day and would be led by families of students who committed suicide following the cancellation of the NEET exam and the subsequent re-test, as well as those who were allegedly subjected to police excesses during the July agitation.
The apex court had earlier constituted a high-powered enquiry committee headed by former apex court judge Justice R Subhash Reddy to probe issues and allegations, including those of police excesses against students surrounding the nationwide protests against NEET-UG paper leaks.
On August 3, the top court clarified that the expression “criminal antecedents” in its order on releasing student protesters referred only to those involved in grave and heinous offences, and said that states could close or withdraw FIRs against the remaining students in accordance with law.
The clarification came after the Centre submitted that it was “serious” about not pursuing FIRs against students who participated in the NEET examination paper leak protests, including the July 20 Parliament march in Delhi, provided they did not have criminal antecedents.
The CJP-led march on July 20 in Delhi saw clashes between protesters and security personnel, who used lathis and teargas shells to disperse crowds attempting to move towards Parliament.
The student-led protests, which spread to several cities, were centred around the resignation of the then Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The agitation, which began at Jantar Mantar on June 20, was called off on July 25 after Pradhan resigned and the government accepted the CJP’s other demands.
