Pleas in Supreme Court allege illegal detentions by Delhi and Bihar police
The Supreme Court is hearing petitions alleging that police in Delhi and Bihar illegally detained students protesting against examination paper leaks. While the court allowed investigations to continue, it restricted police from taking coercive action against protesters without criminal records.
Why it matters
The case raises significant concerns regarding civil liberties, police conduct, and the right to protest in the context of student activism.
Several petitions before the Supreme Court have alleged that police authorities in Delhi and Bihar resorted to “illegal and arbitrary detention” of individuals associated with the recent student protests against examination paper leaks, in “grave violation” of their constitutional guarantees.
Taking cognisance of these allegations, the court on Tuesday (July 28, 2026) permitted the police to continue investigating the FIRs registered in relation to the protests, but restrained the authorities from taking any coercive action against “protesting students” unless they had criminal antecedents.
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