NEW DELHI, AUGUST 3: State governments possess full legal liberty to drop or withdraw criminal cases registered against demonstrators during recent student protests, the Supreme Court declared on Monday. Issuing a formal clarification on its July 28 interim order, the apex court bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant specified that restrictions concerning criminal antecedents apply strictly to serious and violent offences, preventing state authorities from misapplying the order against student activists.
The judicial intervention addresses growing concerns from legal representatives that administrative bodies were misinterpreting court directions to penalize non-violent student participants.
Addressing the bench, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta affirmed that the administration does not intend to treat student protesters on par with habitual offenders. He declared that government authorities will ensure individuals without severe criminal records are not subjected to unwarranted legal action over protest participation.
In addition to legal protections for students, the top court initiated steps toward reviewing crowd-control procedures deployed during the demonstrations, including allegations surrounding the use of pellet guns and lathis.
The bench declared that it is considering an independent judicial panel to review incidents involving both law enforcement personnel and demonstrators. Chief Justice Surya Kant affirmed that the Centre must file a comprehensive affidavit detailing FIR records and crowd-management protocols ahead of the scheduled August 18 hearing, where the composition of the judicial committee will be reviewed.
