Maharashtra Orders Withdrawal of CJP Protest FIRs

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis instructs Home Department to halt coercive actions and begin legal process for case drop

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the state’s Home portfolio, has instructed the Home Department to begin the formal legal process of withdrawing all police First Information Reports (FIRs) registered against students who participated in recent NEET paper-leak agitations. The move marks the third major state execution of the no-punitive-action understanding reached between the Union government and the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leadership, following similar orders in Bihar and Assam.

The Chief Minister’s directive halts all police detentions, home visits, and coercive measures against the students while the legal department processes the case withdrawals. Thousands of students and youth activists had held agitations across Mumbai, Pune, and Nagpur on 23–24 July 2026 in solidarity with the central CJP-led sit-in at Jantar Mantar. In Mumbai alone, police registered 20 separate cases and booked over 1,000 demonstrators, primarily for unlawful assembly.

CJP warns against executive weaponisation of Supreme Court order

The state orders follow an interim ruling by the Supreme Court of India on Tuesday, 28 July 2026. A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant ordered the immediate release of minors detained or arrested during the protests and stayed coercive action against peaceful demonstrators. However, the bench clarified that state authorities could proceed with investigations of the registered FIRs.

The CJP leadership expressed concern that the court’s permission to continue investigations contradicts verbal assurances given by Union Ministers J.P. Nadda and Jitendra Singh during truce negotiations. Spokesperson Saurav Das warned that the central government and BJP-ruled states could seek to "weaponise" the Supreme Court order to keep cases pending against students, noting that the power to drop the prosecutions still rests entirely with the executive.

What we can verify

• CM directive: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis issued orders to the Home Department to initiate the withdrawal of all cases related to the NEET student agitations.
• Police response: A senior Home Department official confirmed to The Indian Express that the DGP has been instructed to suspend home visits, detentions, and other coercive measures.
• State case volume: At least 20 FIRs were registered in Mumbai alone, with over 1,000 individuals named. Agitations primarily took place in Mumbai, Pune, and Nagpur on 23–24 July.
• West Bengal bail order: In neighboring West Bengal, 16 individuals arrested during protests in Kolkata were granted bail by the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's court, which noted a lack of prima facie evidence showing a criminal background.
• Kerala review: Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan has directed the Home Department to examine demands to drop cases against local protesters following a petition from Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan.

What remains unverified

• Filing timeline: Home Department officials noted that Fadnavis's instruction does not automatically nullify active FIRs, as the state must still file formal closure reports or seek withdrawal at the prosecution stage after charge sheets are filed. The exact timeline for complete legal termination of all cases remains [unverified].
• West Bengal policy: The West Bengal government stated it would not take coercive action against students, but noted that this policy excludes individuals with prior criminal histories. Whether West Bengal will formally withdraw its seven registered cases remains [unverified].
• Sovereign agreement: Whether the Union Ministry of Home Affairs will publish a formal national written agreement protecting all peaceful CJP protesters from retaliation before the group's self-imposed deadline remains [unverified].