‘Withdraw All FIRs’: PUCL Demands Action After Students Allege Police Brutality During NEET Protests

Patna: The People`s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) Bihar urged on Saturday for all FIRs registered against NEET activists in Bihar's July 22-25 protests to be withdrawn through a swift process. The Bihar government had previously officially cancelled all criminal cases, FIRs, and show-cause notices against those involved in protesting the NEET-UG question paper leak before 6 pm on July 26.

This demand came after students and young protesters testified about police violence during and after demonstrations against the NEET question paper leak in Bihar on July 22 and 25. The testimonies, heard by a panel at a public hearing organised by PUCL, revealed being beaten even after being shot, assaults on female students, unannounced firing, injuries from gunfire, psychological trauma in detention, and alleged discrimination against protesters based on religion and caste.

A six-month-old girl was among three killed in a fire at a motorcycle parts shop near Patna. The panel of respected lawyers, journalists, and social workers from Patna, including Basant Kumar Choudhary, Sudha Varghese, Arshad Ajmal, and Pranav Choudhary, heard the testimonies. Choudhary suggested the incidents constitute "state repression" against students, not just police brutality, and called for a writ petition over the alleged police firing.

Varghese expressed disappointment, questioning how democracy can "die," while Ajmal noted Gen-Z's hope and readiness to fight for their rights. PUCL also demanded an independent investigation into the AK-47 firing in Siwan and adequate compensation for those injured.