4 states join Centre in SC bid to quash FIRs against CJP protesters

Maharashtra, Assam, West Bengal, and Bihar have jointly petitioned the Supreme Court to annul criminal cases resulting from the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protests in July. This follows the Centre's request to the apex court to quash 13 FIRs registered in connection with the protests in Delhi's Jantar Mantar and other regions during July 20-25.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta mentioned that separate applications were filed for each of the four states where FIRs needed to be quashed. The Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant agreed to hear all applications together and requested the states to ensure their applications were devoid of defects. The move comes as the CJP has been demanding the withdrawal of criminal cases against protesters as part of assurances allegedly given by the Centre when the 36-day agitation concluded on July 25.

The issue of FIRs across states was also addressed by the Supreme Court after its July 28 order, which clarified that the court's previous order did not prevent state governments from taking steps to close or withdraw proceedings arising from FIRs, except for those involving "grave and heinous offences". The CJP contended that the court's order contradicted the Centre's assurance of amnesty for protesters.

The Centre's application seeks to resolve the issue in Delhi by quashing 13 FIRs and initiating a fresh case against 2,873 individuals with "serious criminal antecedents", whose roles in potential offences need to be investigated. The latest applications by the four states are expected to bring the question of withdrawing criminal cases in other states before the Supreme Court, as the court evaluates the Centre's proposal to end the Delhi cases.