The Supreme Court of India declined to urgently hear a plea that sought intervention concerning police actions against student protesters. This plea came amidst protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar, rallying against the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak.
The Senate was brought before a Bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, where the petitioner’s counsel requested an expedited hearing due to the gravity of the situation. However, the Chief Justice firmly refused, advising the lawyer, “Don’t waste our time, and don’t waste your time.”
The lawyer highlighted that students participated in the protests to address issues of significant public interest, including allegations of a NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, concerns over the conduct of the examination, and demanded reforms in the National Testing Agency (NTA).
When videos allegedly depicting police brutality against the protesters surfaced, Chief Justice Kant dismissed their relevance, stating, “We are not interested in videos; we don’t have time to watch.” Thus, the Bench did not entertain the call for an urgent listing of the case.
This development occurred shortly after the Delhi High Court also refused a similar request for an urgent hearing regarding police actions during the protests. The CJP has been vocal in demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan as well as significant reforms in the examination system, which they claim has been compromised.
The protests took a tense turn as demonstrators marched towards Parliament, leading to reported clashes with police. Such incidents have raised alarms over the allegations of excessive use of force and numerous detentions during the demonstrations.
The Supreme Court’s remarks pertained strictly to the urgency of the hearing and did not deliver any ruling on the underlying allegations made in the petition regarding the police actions.
