Supreme Court Clarifies stance, Agrees to Hear NEET Protest Pleas; Calls Out Media Over 'Listing Refusal' Reports

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear petitions concerning the alleged excessive police action against students during the July 20 'Sansad Chalo' protests at Jantar Mantar and across the capital over the NEET paper leak.

In a significant development, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant strongly refuted media reports claiming that the apex court had earlier refused to list or hear the matter, terming the reports "completely false" and reckless. The CJI clarified that no formal writ petition had actually been filed before the court at the time of the initial mentioning, and that the bench had only been presented with a letter representation.

The clarification follows sharp media scrutiny and public debate surrounding Wednesday's proceedings, when the plea was first mentioned before the CJI-led bench seeking an urgent listing and an inquiry into the alleged police brutality. During that session, the petitioner's counsel had pressed for urgency by pointing to video evidence of security personnel using lathis and tear gas to disperse crowds attempting to march toward Parliament under the banner of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). In response, the CJI had remarked, “Please don’t waste our time, and don't waste yours,” adding that the bench was "not interested in videos" and lacked the time to watch them.

Meanwhile, parallel judicial proceedings unfolded before the Delhi High Court, which faced intense scrutiny over a similar petition. A division bench comprising Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia agreed to urgently hear a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by former Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha Vice President Satish Kumar Aggarwal. The PIL sought an NIA probe and the transfer of all Delhi Police FIRs, alleging that the student agitation transformed into a politically influenced disruption that caused severe traffic gridlocks, public hardship, and security breaches across the capital.

With formal petitions now processed and listed, the Supreme Court is slated to take up the matter for detailed hearing.

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Friday clarified that no formal petition had been filed before the Supreme Court regarding the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protests in Delhi, dismissing reports claiming that he had refused an urgent hearing as "false and reckless".