Release all minors held over student protests: SC
The Supreme Court ordered release of all minors arrested during student protests and directed an independent inquiry into allegations of police excesses.
- FIR is the first police record about an offence; police investigation can follow FIR registration.
- Courts may require an independent, evidence-based investigation when there are claims of excessive force during protests.
- The Supreme Court ordered stronger immediate protection for minors arrested in protest-linked incidents.
- CCTV, drone recordings, body-worn camera footage, wireless records, and PCR calls help verify what happened during protests.
What happened: Supreme Court interim directions after student protests
The Supreme Court indicated it may form a high-powered team to conduct a thorough, fair, and independent inquiry into allegations that police used excessive force during recent student protests in Delhi and other States. The Court allowed authorities to continue investigating FIRs already registered relating to the protests, but the Court also issued interim protections for students arrested during the demonstrations.
The Supreme Court directed the immediate release of all minors arrested in connection with the demonstrations. The Court also restrained authorities from taking coercive action against protesting students unless the students have criminal antecedents. If bond or surety was insisted upon, the Court provided for release by a simple bond executed by the minor or by the minor’s family.
UPSC can frame this as a test of constitutional safeguards during public protest: how courts balance (a) ongoing FIR investigations with (b) protection against coercive action, especially for minors, and (c) requirements for independent, evidence-based inquiry into alleged police violence.