Mumbai, July 28: In a significant move to support students, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has directed the Home Department to withdraw all cases filed against students involved in protests related to the NEET examination.
Following the Chief Minister’s directive, the process to officially retract the cases registered during student protests across the state will commence.
Fadnavis has issued formal instructions to initiate the withdrawal of legal actions against student protesters. Records of students who faced legal repercussions or had FIRs filed against them during demonstrations over alleged irregularities in the NEET exam will now be cleared.
In line with measures taken in other states, Maharashtra is taking steps to ensure that cases arising from democratic protests do not adversely affect the academic and professional futures of young candidates.
This directive is deemed crucial as Mumbai police had registered 12 to 13 FIRs against students and protesters across various police stations, including Worli, Dadar, Sion, Mahim, and Shivaji Park, for participating in unauthorized demonstrations against alleged NEET exam irregularities.
More than 900 individuals were named or charged under bailable offenses, including unlawful assembly and violations of the BNS (Indian Civil Safety Code). Many received notices via WhatsApp, instructing them to present themselves before investigating officers.
Opposition leaders, including Jayant Patil from the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) and senior leaders from Maharashtra Congress, had formally demanded the immediate withdrawal of all police cases against student protesters. They urged the state government to issue an official order similar to recent directives released in Bihar, ensuring that criminal records stemming from democratic protests do not negatively impact students’ careers and academic futures.
Previously, the Supreme Court had instructed that no punitive action be taken against student protesters involved in NEET demonstrations across various states, and that minors detained during these protests be released immediately.
The Cockroach Public Party (CJP) warned on Monday that if all pending police cases and FIRs against student protesters in various states are not withdrawn promptly, it would resume its nationwide movement.
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