Bihar Government Withdraws 64 FIRs Against NEET-UG Protesters

After announcing its decision to drop all cases against NEET-UG protesters , the Bihar government has now initiated the withdrawal of 64 FIRs lodged across the state. In a letter to district magistrates and public prosecutors Tuesday, Bihar Advocate General SD Sanjay wrote: “As per [the] decision taken by [the] Government of Bihar regarding withdrawal of all cases registered before 6 pm of 26 July, 2026 against the protesting students of NEET-UG, the undersigned hereby requests all the public prosecutors of districts to proceed to ensure compliance of the government order”. Of the 64, 27 were in Patna, and six each in Saran and Siwan. Of the 694 people arrested or detained over the July 25 protests, 339 minors and students were released, while 355 people remain in custody for their alleged involvement in the violence. However, the Bihar Police said they withdrew only cases filed by their own officials, and not those filed by private individuals. Besides Patna, Saran and Siwan, 15 other districts had also lodged cases against protesters. Among the cases now being withdrawn is one against Kishanganj resident Sadaquat, who claimed he lives in Russia and was there during the protests. Sadaquat was booked for damage to public property, among other charges. The Bihar Police, however, said cases remain against 21 people whom they claim were involved in the Siwan violence. The Siwan Police have released a list of these people, whom the police claim have “criminal antecedents”. Siwan SP Puran Kumar Jha was among those injured in the violence. “We have enough video and other material evidence against such people. People with known criminal records are not being let off as they have nothing to do with students’ protests,” one senior officer said, adding that they had identified all the suspects. However, the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation alleged that several of the arrests were arbitrary. “Several All India Students’ Association (AISA) activists are still in jail,” a senior leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation said. “Until they are all released, we cannot completely take the word of the state police.”