Bihar to drop FIRs against NEET protesters filed before 6 pm on July 26, release detainees
In a major climbdown following the student protests over irregularities in the NEET-UG examination, the Bihar government has announced that it will withdraw cases registered
In a major climbdown following the student protests over irregularities in the NEET-UG examination, the Bihar government has announced that it will withdraw cases registered against protesters and release those detained in connection with the agitation. The state government issued four key assurances relating to legal action taken against participants in the protests before 6 pm on July 26, 2026 Read Full Story NO PUNITIVE ACTION AGAINST PROTESTERS The Bihar government said no punitive, retaliatory or adverse legal action will be taken against those who participated in the student protests up to 6 pm on July 26. FIRs, NOTICES TO BE WITHDRAWN The government said the legal process to withdraw all FIRs, complaints and show-cause notices registered before 6 pm on July 26 would begin immediately.
DETAINEES TO BE RELEASED It also announced that all those arrested or detained in connection with cases registered before the July 26 deadline would be released at the earliest. NO FUTURE ACTION The government further assured that no direct or indirect legal action would be initiated in the future against those named in cases registered before 6 pm on July 26. The decision comes amid heightened political tensions in Bihar over the handling of student protests linked to alleged examination irregularities. Opposition parties had accused the state government of using excessive force against demonstrators and demanded that all criminal cases against protesters be withdrawn. Earlier in the day, Tejashwi Yadav had given the state government an ultimatum till midnight, demanding that all FIRs registered against student protesters be withdrawn.
In a post on X, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader said the government had been officially informed of the demand and warned that a statewide protest would begin from 7 am on July 29 if action was not taken. BIHAR POLICE CLARIFIES AK-47 USAGE The Bihar Police Headquarters also issued an official statement on the AK-47 firing during the July 25 student protests in Siwan, saying the constable who opened fire has been suspended and departmental proceedings have been initiated against him. According to the police, the incident took place near JP Chowk after bandh supporters allegedly surrounded police personnel deployed in the area. The police said Constable Abhishek Kumar fired four rounds into the air from his AK-47 "to protect lives and government property." The police maintained that no one in the crowd at JP Chowk was injured in the firing.
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