{
  "id": 124450,
  "title": "NEET Protests: Water cannons, barricades stop students' march to Bihar CM's residence in Patna | Watch Video",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/04/neet-protests-water-cannons-barricades-stop-students-march-to-bihar",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-04T10:18:40.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Live Mint",
    "slug": "live-mint",
    "url": "https://www.livemint.com/news/india/neet-protests-water-cannons-barricades-stop-students-march-to-bihar-cms-residence-in-patna-dharmendra-pradhan-cjp-11785837716115.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On Tuesday, hundreds of students and youth activists in Patna gathered to protest against the alleged police crackdown on last month's NEET paper leak agitation. Waving flags from various organizations, they marched from Gandhi Maidan toward Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary's residence, only to be dispersed by police with water cannons. The protesters demanded the release of those arrested during the previous statewide agitation and a withdrawal of criminal cases against them. Nearly 600 individuals were detained by Bihar Police, with half subsequently released due to being minors and the rest sent to jail. Despite the state Home Department's announcement of case withdrawals and releases, protesters remained skeptical. One protester lamented the absence of their friends who were still detained, while another accused the police of lying. Purnea MP Pappu Yadav and state Congress president Rajesh Ram were among the leaders taken away by the police. Sub-Divisional Police Officer Amarendra Kumar Jha stated that the water cannons were deployed when protesters tried to enter a restricted area, adding that no detentions had occurred.",
  "summary": "Waving flags of organisations such as the NSUI, AISF and DYFI, the protesters assembled at Gandhi Maidan and marched towards the chief minister's residence before being stopped by police barricades near the Income Tax roundabout, around two kilometres away.",
  "key_points": [
    "Hundreds of students and youth activists protested against NEET paper leak agitation.",
    "Police dispersed protesters with water cannons, dispersing march from Gandhi Maidan.",
    "Nearly 600 individuals detained, half released, others sent to jail."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yle News Finland",
        "title": "Video: Water buffalos draw crowds as they clean up a Finnish lake",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/04/video-water-buffalos-draw-crowds-as-they-clean-up-a-finnish-lake",
        "published": "2026-08-04T12:04:18.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}