The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to hear an urgent petition seeking its intervention over alleged police action against student protesters demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in connection with the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak. Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, who was heading the bench, refused to entertain the plea during the mentioning stage. The matter was mentioned before a bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant after Advocate Narendra Mishra submitted a letter petition under Article 32 of the Constitution.

The petition sought the court's suo motu intervention into what it described as alleged violations of the fundamental rights of students during recent protests. During the proceedings, the petitioner's counsel requested that the matter be listed for hearing immediately, arguing that demonstrations were taking place across the country and therefore extended beyond the territorial jurisdiction of the Delhi High Court. When the lawyer referred to videos that allegedly showed police excesses during the protests, the Chief Justice declined to examine the material at that stage. "

We don't have time. We don't want to watch videos," the Chief Justice said. He also remarked, "Don't waste our time, and don't waste your time," while refusing to grant an urgent hearing. The petition sought several directions from the Supreme Court, including the constitution of an independent judicial inquiry into the alleged police action, registration of FIRs against officials found responsible and consideration of electronic evidence submitted along with the plea.

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The court, however, did not examine the merits of the allegations while declining to hear the matter during the mentioning process. The observations were limited to the request for an urgent listing and did not amount to a judicial determination on the claims made in the petition. The controversy stems from protests by students over the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak. Demonstrations in the national capital and other parts of the country have sparked political reactions, with opposition parties criticising the government's handling of the issue and demanding accountability.

The alleged police action during the protests has also become a subject of political debate, with several opposition leaders condemning the response of law enforcement agencies. The Centre has maintained that it is committed to ensuring transparency and accountability in the examination process while addressing concerns through appropriate mechanisms. With the Supreme Court declining to entertain the plea at this stage, the legal challenge has not proceeded further before the apex court. Any future proceedings will depend on fresh filings or other legal remedies pursued by the petitioners.

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