Government Agrees to Withdraw FIRs After Education Minister Resigns

The Indian government agreed to withdraw 15 First Information Reports (FIRs) filed against protesters involved in the NEET paper leak agitation. Union Minister J. P. Nadda announced the decision during a press conference with the Cockroach Janata Party, adding that written assurances on further demands would be provided by Tuesday. The move follows a 36-day agitation that ended on July 25 after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned.

The FIRs stem from July 20 violence during a march to Parliament, which resulted in injuries to over 200 police personnel and 70 protesters. While the Delhi Police are awaiting official guidelines to withdraw the cases, they will continue investigating a broader conspiracy using facial recognition and CCTV footage, which has already identified over 2,500 individuals with criminal backgrounds.

Parallelly, the Supreme Court of India is scheduled to hear petitions on July 27 regarding alleged police brutality during the protests. These petitions seek FIRs against Delhi Police and Central Armed Police Force personnel for the use of tear gas and lathis. Chief Justice Surya Kant dismissed reports that he had refused to list the matter, while the Delhi High Court ordered the preservation of all relevant CCTV footage and records from the clashes.