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Informist, Monday, Aug. 3, 2026

 

NEW DELHI – The Supreme Court Monday said that Delhi police and other states' police can close or withdraw first information reports against the protesting students, except those who were involved in grave and heinous offences in earlier cases, in Delhi and other states demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in accordance with law. However, police officers involved in using excessive force in the protests and hardened criminal creating ruckus under the garb of student protest will not be protected, said the court.

 

The apex court also suggested that either there should be a special investigation team of police officers to probe the violence or a committee headed by a retired judge. The top court might examine the issue of the special investigation team or the committee on the next date of hearing on Aug. 18.

 

In July, the apex court had said Delhi Police and police in other states could continue investigating the registered first information reports. However, it directed that no coercive action should be taken against the protesting students. The protection, however, would not be extended to individuals with criminal antecedents, the court had said. 

 

Monday, the protesting students argued that the court's previous order was causing impediment in the process of withdrawal of first information reports, which was a commitment made by the Centre to the Cockroach Janata Party leaders as a condition to end the protests. The petitioners said that the word criminal antecedants was vague and could cause difficulties to students who may have petty offences. Following this, the apex cour clarified its order and replaced criminal antecedants with grave and heinous offences. 

 

Last month, tens of thousands of protesters marched through the streets of Lutyens's Delhi, demanding the resignation of Pradhan. Protesters breached police barricades in an attempt to march to Parliament. According to reports, around 50,000 people, mostly young men and women, confronted security forces at dozens of locations across the New Delhi police district. Police and anti-riot forces responded with batons, tear gas, and water cannons, injuring scores of protestors. The protests continued with the demonstrators saying they would not end the agitation till Pradhan resigned. 

 

Thereafter, Pradhan resigned from the Cabinet, saying irregularities were found in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduates) 2026 conducted in May. Following his resignation, the Cockroach Janta Party said the Centre had accepted its demand and announced the withdrawal of its agitation over the alleged paper leak in the pre-medical entrance examination. 

 

The petitioners sought the Supreme Court's intervention over multiple incidents of violence during protests by demonstrators, predominantly students, at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi and other locations in the capital. They said the violence later spread to Maharashtra, Bihar, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, and Kerala. The petitioners also alleged that some violence was perpetrated by police personnel, both in uniform and plain clothes.

 

Family members of the police personnel alleged that protestors and certain anti-social elements who had infiltrated the protest site pelted stones and engaged in other acts of violence, causing multiple serious injuries to police personnel while they were performing their duties.

 

Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre and the Delhi police, had said no excesses had been committed by the police. He said hardened criminals and undesirable elements had infiltrated the protest site and attacked police personnel, leaving more than 280 officers seriously injured. However, Mehta said the Centre and the Delhi police had no objections to an independent and fair investigation, as proposed by the court, into the incidents of violence.  End

 

Reported by Surya Tripathi

Edited by Akul Nishant Akhoury

 

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