NEET Protests: Firing in Bihar's Siwan Sparks Legal Battle; MP Manoj Jha Moves Supreme Court

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Kumar Jha has approached the Supreme Court seeking the registration of First Information Reports (FIRs) and an independent judicial probe into allegations of excessive police force against students protesting the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) paper leaks.

The matter was urgently mentioned before a Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V. Mohana by Advocate-on-Record Fauzia Shakil. The apex court agreed to hear the writ petition alongside a broader batch of petitions detailing nationwide police high-handedness during the recent student demonstrations.

Firing in Bihar's Siwan Sparks Legal Battle

The legal action follows intense nationwide student demonstrations held between July 20 and July 25, including protests called by the Cockroach Janata Party and the All India Students' Association (AISA).

The agitation turned severe in Bihar's Siwan district during a state-wide shutdown ('Bihar bandh') called by AISA. Security forces opened fire on demonstrators, leaving three student protesters injured. Clashes and heavy-handed police actions were also reported in the national capital, particularly surrounding the planned 'Sansad Chalo' march towards Parliament and demonstrations at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on July 20.

In his petition, Jha highlighted that peaceful assembly and democratic dissent by students demanding accountability over examination irregularities were met with disproportionate violence and intimidation by law enforcement authorities across multiple states and Union Territories.

MP Seeks SIT Investigation and Evidence Preservation

The petition urges the top court to direct state governments to immediately register FIRs against errant police personnel involved in violence against demonstrators.

To ensure an impartial investigation, Jha has prayed for the establishment of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) in the affected states. The proposed SIT would comprise the respective Director General of Police (DGP) alongside two senior female officers of Inspector General rank or above. To guarantee transparency, the petition asks that the SIT operates under the guidance of a retired High Court judge and remains directly monitored by the Supreme Court, with a strict mandate to complete its probe within three months.

Furthermore, the plea calls for strict court orders to preserve all physical and digital evidence. This includes:

• CCTV, drone, police body-camera footage, and social media videos capturing police action.
• Complete deployment charts, operational plans, and identification logs of officers present at protest sites, including those deployed in plain clothes.
• Official records detailing orders under Section 163 (prohibitory orders restraining public gatherings) and formal communications regarding the refusal of permission for the 'Sansad Chalo' rally.
• Authorisation records for the use of tear gas and lathi charges, along with comprehensive medical and medico-legal reports of injured students.

Demand for Pan-India Guidelines on Police Control

Beyond immediate criminal accountability, Jha's petition asks the Supreme Court to lay down binding pan-India Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to regulate crowd-control measures during peaceful public demonstrations.

The requested guidelines advocate for a strict "minimum necessary force" standard against unarmed citizens, mandatory wearing of visible name badges by on-duty personnel, and immediate medical examination for any injured demonstrators. The plea also seeks directions restraining state authorities from arbitrarily detaining or threatening students who took part in the anti-paper leak protests, alongside financial compensation and medical cost coverage for those injured in the crackdowns.