Supreme Court Issues Notice In Plea To Fix NEET Protest Organizer's Accountability For Protestors Violent Acts

The Supreme Court today has issued notice in a petition seeking to fix responsibility on the organisers of the recent protests against the NEET paper leak and tagged it with similar pending petitions. 

"Where is the accountability of the so-called organisers..they are moving from channel to channel giving provocative statements..still not allowing the fire to die down..still fanning it..," Court was told today by Advocate Rizwan Ahmed. "Even if there is a religious congregation and there is negligence, the organizers are held responsible..In the present case, the government is at backfoot, society cannot be on backfoot..law cannot be on backfoot," Ahmed further told the bench.

Few days back, the instant petition filed by a retired air force officer was mentioned before a CJI Surya Kant led bench. Then too the counsel had urged action against young boys and girls who had used abusive language during the protests.

Today, the court was told that a similar law and order situation took place in Rajasthan wherein a young man died.

"If the Government bends backwards in a matter concerning the national capital, will it not set a precedent in Rajasthan? There also the Government will bend backwards to accommodate students. Tomorrow, if degree college students in Lucknow have some demand and start pelting stones at buses, will the Government in Uttar Pradesh also bend backwards? In our society, everybody is important. The fraternity of lawyers is important. The fraternity of farmers is important. The fraternity of people sitting at Shaheen Bagh was important. The fraternity of people saying there should not be reservation is also important," the counsel further submitted.

Responding to said submission, CJI Surya Kant said, "If some misguided elements indulge in stone-pelting, even then the youngsters are required to be pacified and consulted. They need advice and counselling. Any aggressive approach from the side of the mighty State may socially aggravate the situation and precipitate further violence. That needs to be avoided."

"Stone-pelters cannot be allowed to go scot-free without any consideration just because the Government is on the wrong foot. Today one Government is there; tomorrow it may not be. That is the analogy I am giving, and it is not hypothetical. Yesterday there was stone-pelting in Rajasthan. The same thing will happen there. This is a very dangerous precedent. Three years back, the farmers were at the Singhu border. There were people at Shaheen Bagh. Tomorrow, Generation Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta will come. Will the people from the Singhu border tomorrow come to Parliament with their tractors? Will the people from Shaheen Bagh tomorrow come to Parliament with their tractors? When permission was not granted, 22 conditions imposed by the police were violated by the so-called organizers, because it is not a registered organization. Thereafter, the police did not allow them to march to Parliament. This is the temple of democracy, My Lords. We have to see the motive and the intention. If 500 people had entered Parliament, who knows whether they were carrying a country-made gun?" the counsel added further.

While issuing notice in the plea, the bench observed, "What is important is to promote a peaceful march. If some incident takes place, the police also need to exercise a great deal of restraint to ensure that the situation does not go out of hand. Wherever such incidents take place, we need to deal with them very carefully. We need to tread carefully so that these youngsters do not indulge in violence. The better course is to counsel them and pacify them. The most powerful tool is listening. But let us leave it to the wisdom of the law-enforcement agencies. They know better than you, and they know better than us, how to deal with this kind of situation."

Recently, the Supreme Court directed that the State government are at liberty to withdraw FIRs registered against the protestors involved in the recent protests that happened in various parts of the country over the NEET paper leak. As a CJI Surya Kant led bench clarified that those FIRs registered against persons who are already accused of grave and heinous offences may not be withdrawn, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the bench that 2700 such FIRs shall not be withdrawn.

Earlier, Court had directed that no coercive action would taken against the protestors involved in the recent protests. A Bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana had also ordered immediate release of minors detained by police across different States except those with criminal background.

Case Title: MANEESH KUMAR SOLANKI Vs UNION OF INDIA

Bench: CJI Kant, Justice Bagchi and Justice Mohana

Hearing Date: August 5, 2026