Assam govt to withdraw cases against NEET protesters; probe closed

Guwahati, July 28: The Assam government has decided to withdraw criminal cases and other legal proceedings against those arrested during protests over the alleged NEET paper leak, effectively bringing the controversy to a close.

In an order issued late Monday night, Assam Police said no adverse action would be taken against those who participated in the protests demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. It added that the process of reviewing the arrests and facilitating the release of the 13 people detained in connection with the agitation had begun “expeditiously”.

The protesters were arrested during demonstrations backed by the Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) following the NEET paper leak controversy.

Among those arrested were advocate Ariful Islam and food delivery workers Chinmoy Deka, Amir Ali, Mustahid Ahmed and Mehdi Alam in Guwahati, three students from Lakhimpur district, and Congress spokesperson Birinchi Bora in Nagaon.

The three students arrested in Lakhimpur were identified as Monjur Rahman, Ashraful Islam and Abdul Kashem.

The Guwahati arrests followed a large protest organised by the Students’ Federation of India (SFI).

Police had earlier booked some of the accused under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including criminal conspiracy, unlawful assembly, rioting, obstructing public servants from discharging their duties, wrongful confinement, and offences relating to acts allegedly prejudicial to the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India.

Investigators had also claimed to have recovered electronic records from the mobile phones of some of the accused, including WhatsApp messages referring to plans for a “Nepal-type protest”, which police said were being examined as part of the investigation.

However, with the government’s latest decision to withdraw the cases, the police said the matter would now be treated as closed.

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