Supreme Court eases path for closing FIRs against student protesters

The clarification arrives as a significant relief for participants of the July 20 Parliament march, where students rallied against examination paper leaks. Saurav Das, chief spokesperson for the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), hailed the development as a major victory, noting that the court’s stance ensures regular students and political protesters will no longer face lingering legal threats. During the hearing, the court indicated it might leverage Article 142 of the Constitution to ensure complete justice by quashing FIRs across various states.

The initial controversy stemmed from a protest march toward Parliament that descended into chaos as demonstrators clashed with security forces. While police cited stone-pelting to justify the use of tear gas and lathi-charges, students accused authorities of heavy-handed tactics. With the court now narrowing the definition of criminal antecedents, the legal focus shifts back to the states, which are now empowered to utilize established procedures to withdraw or close cases against those whose actions did not involve grave offenses.