Gujarat Home Department Orders Withdrawal of FIRs Against NEET Protesters
Gujarat directed to withdraw FIRs against NEET paper leak protesters.
The Gujarat Home Department has directed the state police to withdraw all cases registered against students, young people and others who participated in protests over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak. The order was issued in a letter sent to the Director General of Police on July 31 and covered demonstrations organised across Gujarat in support of the larger student agitation held at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. Preliminary information indicated that only one FIR may have been registered in the state in connection with the protests.
No police cases were reportedly filed in most major centres where students demonstrated. However, Surat city police arrested four people following a protest involving a group of around seven participants on July 21. The protesters were carrying banners and placards, raising slogans and demanding the resignation of then Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Police alleged that the group also burned his effigy during the demonstration, leading to the registration of an FIR at Udhna police station in Surat’s Zone 2.
The Gujarat government’s direction followed developments concerning cases registered against participants in the wider NEET protest movement. The state Home Department specifically instructed the police to withdraw cases linked to demonstrations over the examination controversy. The move is expected to benefit those who faced criminal proceedings solely for participating in protests, although the withdrawal of an FIR generally requires the authorities to follow the applicable legal and procedural requirements rather than treating the case as automatically closed.
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Surat Deputy Commissioner of Police Kanan Desai said officials had not yet examined the relevant Supreme Court direction. She added that the police would study the order, discuss it with the Surat police commissioner and then decide how to implement the instructions. Her remarks indicated that the Udhna police case would be reviewed before further action was taken. Details about the charges invoked against the four arrested individuals and their present legal status were not available in the information provided.
The NEET-UG controversy triggered demonstrations by students and youth groups demanding accountability over alleged irregularities in the medical entrance examination. Protesters argued that any compromise in the examination process could unfairly affect candidates competing for limited medical seats. The Gujarat government’s decision to seek withdrawal of protest-related cases reflects an effort to separate peaceful participation in the agitation from criminal conduct. The final status of the Surat FIR will depend on the police review and completion of the required legal process.
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