The Bihar government on Monday announced that it will not take any punitive or retaliatory legal action against individuals who participated in protests over the alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG examination before 6 pm on July 26. It also said the process to withdraw all FIRs, criminal complaints and show-cause notices linked to the protests would begin immediately.
In a statement issued by the Home Department, the government said all those arrested or detained in connection with cases registered before the stipulated deadline would be released immediately. It further assured that no direct or indirect action would be taken against such individuals in the future in relation to those cases.
Also read: CJP launches online fund for protestors' legal aid after NEET-UG paper leak agitation
The announcement comes after the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which had led the nationwide agitation over the alleged NEET-UG irregularities, repeatedly demanded that no legal action be taken against protestors after it called off its demonstrations on July 25.
Withdrawal of cases to begin immediately
According to the Home Department, the legal process for withdrawing all existing FIRs, criminal complaints and show-cause notices filed against protestors before 6 pm on July 26 will be initiated without delay.
The assurance applies across Bihar and covers individuals who took part in demonstrations over the alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG examination and the demand for accountability and reforms in the examination and higher education sector.
The government also said all persons arrested or detained in connection with cases registered before 6 pm on July 26 would be released immediately. It further assured that no action, either directly or indirectly, would be taken against these individuals in the future in relation to the cases covered by the announcement.
Also read: CJP threatens to 'sit on protest again'; warns govt over alleged police action against protestors
CJP announces legal aid for protestors
Earlier on Monday, CJP announced that it would launch a website to raise public contributions for a legal aid fund to support people facing what it described as wrongful legal action after participating in the protests.
"We will launch a website where people can, in their good faith, contribute (even if it is Re 1), to help create a fund and help people facing wrongful legal action after protesting for their rights," Rajya Sabha MP and senior advocate Kapil Sibal said.
Sibal said the initiative would support people facing legal action "wherever in India, be it Maharashtra or Bihar."
CJP chief spokesperson Saurav Das said the party had consulted Sibal before and after withdrawing its nationwide protests on July 25, fearing that individual protestors could face legal action after the agitation ended.
"When we called off the protests, we were worried that once the movement of protest was over, the government may individually start targeting people; this is something the govt has done before," Das said.
Referring specifically to Bihar, CJP worker Ratna Singh alleged that the state had witnessed the most severe crackdown during the agitation.
"Bihar is the one state where developments of heavy crackdown and 'police brutality' as well as Police reportedly using AK-47 against protestors is coming from; we are coordinating with lawyers to help support us," Singh said.
The statement announcing the assurances was issued by Bihar Home Department Special Secretary Kshatranil Singh (IPS).
