India Supreme Court protesters received interim relief on Tuesday after the country’s top court ordered authorities to avoid coercive action against young demonstrators involved in protests over examination paper leaks. The court also directed the release of minors arrested during the demonstrations, according to media reports.
Chief Justice Surya Kant issued the directions while hearing petitions filed by student protesters and activists. The petitioners had alleged excessive use of force by police and paramilitary personnel during weeks-long protests held in New Delhi and other parts of the country.
The court instructed authorities to preserve all available evidence related to the demonstrations, including CCTV recordings, drone footage and body camera videos. It also directed officials to protect the personal and digital information of protesters and prevent unauthorized disclosure.
Media reports said the Supreme Court called for a fair and independent investigation into allegations of police excesses. Chief Justice Kant reportedly said that accountability must be established if any wrongdoing occurred during the protests.
The Indian government defended the actions of security forces, describing them as lawful crowd-control measures. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that while allegations involving students required attention, around 250 police personnel were also injured during the demonstrations.
The protests began after allegations of question paper leaks in a national medical entrance examination. The demonstrations ended after the education minister resigned and the government agreed to several demands, including exam reforms, withdrawal of police cases and support for affected families.
The issue has sparked wider debate in India over protest rights, police conduct and the use of surveillance technology during public gatherings. Authorities have also faced questions over the deployment of AI-enabled monitoring systems during the demonstrations, while further legal proceedings are expected to continue.
