Our Bureau
New Delhi
The Supreme Court on Tuesday quashed First Information Reports (FIRs) registered against students who participated in protests between July 20 and 25 led by Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), bringing major relief to protesters across the country. The court, however, allowed the Delhi Police to pursue action against 2,873 individuals identified as having serious criminal antecedents.
The order applies nationwide, extending beyond the states and Union Territories that had directly approached the court. The bench also directed that the FIRs covered by its order should not be investigated or pursued further and should be treated as closed.
The Centre had moved the Supreme Court seeking the withdrawal of cases arising from the protests. The applications specifically covered FIRs registered by the Delhi Police and governments of Bihar, West Bengal, Maharashtra and Assam. The court extended the relief to similar cases across the country.
The exception concerns 2,873 people whom authorities identified as having serious criminal records. The court permitted the Delhi Police to proceed against this group, distinguishing them from protesters without such antecedents.
The court’s intervention also prevents authorities from registering fresh FIRs over incidents connected with the July 20-25 protests. The move follows the Centre’s assurance that cases arising from the protests would be withdrawn and that no fresh cases would be filed for the same incidents.
The court’s decision seeks to ensure that criminal cases arising from the protests do not adversely affect the future of students who were not involved in serious criminal activity.
Following the Supreme Court’s decision, the CJP also called off their proposed September 5 protest march in Delhi.