Bihar Withdraws FIRs, Orders Release of NEET Protest Detainees
The state government says no punitive action will be taken against those who protested before 6 pm on July 26, promising FIR withdrawals and releases
Synopsis
In response to the alleged NEET paper leak, the Bihar government has announced that all the FIRs will be withdrawn and all those detained have been released, as the protests were held before 6 pm on July 26. The move comes as a result of a criticism after hundreds of alleged "troublemakers" were the subject of newspaper advertisements, some of them minors.
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The Bihar government has announced on Monday, July 27 that it will not take any adverse action, will drop cases and will release those arrested and detained for participating in protests over the NEET paper-leak issue before 6 pm on July 26.
No one who participated in the protests prior to that date will be subject to any punitive legal action or reprisal anywhere in the state, a home department press release said.
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The government also said that all those arrested or detained in connection with cases that were registered prior to 6 pm on July 26 would be "immediately" released, and that no "direct or indirect" action would be taken against any of them in the future.
The ruling covers all cases that had been registered until then, and will provide respite to hundreds of detainees who were arrested during the agitation across the state.
What went before the Climbdown?
The decision followed newspaper ads featuring pictures of about 300 people, including minors, which came from Instagram and other social media sites, describing them as "troublemakers" and asking for "information" from the general public.
The government's notification came hours after Bihar Police had made the details of violence during the July 25 bandh, organised by the student groups from the Left, demanding accountability for the paper leak scandal public.
AdvertisementPolice say 694 people have been arrested during the protests, including nearly half of whom were minors. Bihar government has withdrawn FIRs against the protestors of NEET and released the detainees.
Reaction
The All India Students' Association (AISA) welcomed the withdrawal but warned students to be vigilant and take precaution as in some agitation verbal assurances were not followed by speedy action by the administration.
Why It Matters
The episode shows the dilemma in which state authorities find themselves when the public reacts badly to heavy-handed identification practices, including the release of photographs of alleged protesters, including minors.
Bihar's failure to do so comes at a time when the CJP has also separately alleged that the Centre is violating a similar amnesty promise in Delhi, indicating that such promises will be subjected to further scrutiny of whether they are fulfilled in reality.
