NEW DELHI — The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the closure of all First Information Reports (FIRs) registered against student demonstrators across the country between July 20 and July 25, 2026, prompting the youth outfit Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) to officially withdraw its planned protest march scheduled for September 5. A three-judge bench presided over by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant invoked the apex court’s extraordinary constitutional powers under Article 142 to deliver complete justice after the Union government affirmed its commitment to settle long-standing grievances arising from the nationwide examination demonstrations.
Appearing for the Centre, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted that the central government along with the state governments of Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal, and Assam stood ready to drop all criminal cases filed against student agitators, barring individuals specifically implicated in heinous criminal offences. The Solicitor General further confirmed that the administration will formulate the operational framework within a three-month timeline to disburse financial compensation to the families of students who died by suicide following examination irregularities.
The legal resolution unfolded after CJP leaders had previously accused authorities of backtracking on assurances negotiated on July 25, which originally led to the suspension of a 36-day sit-in over alleged malpractices and paper leak controversies in competitive assessments such as NEET-UG. Following interventions by senior advocates who highlighted that cases were also instituted across additional jurisdictions including Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh, the top court expanded the protective relief nationwide, mandating the unconditional closure of all non-heinous protest-related cases.
Reacting to the judicial directive, CJP leader Saurav Das confirmed the withdrawal of the proposed march from India Gate to the Delhi Police Headquarters and described the Supreme Court’s decisive intervention as historic, bringing an end to weeks of legal uncertainty for thousands of student participants.
