SC to hear Delhi Police’s plea to quash FIRs against NEET protesters

The Supreme Court will take up for hearing on Tuesday (September 1, 2026) a plea filed by the Delhi Police seeking quashing of 13 FIRs registered against students who participated in the NEET paper leak protests and registering a fresh case against 2,873 individuals who were present during the stir to probe their role in the violence.

Soicitor General Tushar Mehta made an oral mentioning to take up the case at 2 p.m. The Delhi Police had filed an application urging the Supreme Court to invoke plenary powers under Article 142 of the Constitution to quash the FIRs.

Appearing before a Bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, Mr. Mehta said four other States — Bihar, Assam, Maharashtra and West Bengal — have also filed similar applications. He urged the CJI to keep the case at 2 p.m. so that the case records concerning the four applications could also be heard by the court along with the Delhi Police one.

The development assumes significance as the 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 against examination irregularities.

According to the CJP, the march is scheduled to take place on Teachers’ Day (September 5, 2026) and would be led by families of students who died by 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 Supreme Court had earlier constituted a high-powered enquiry committee headed by former Supreme 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.

(With inputs from PTI)