GUWAHATI: The Assam government on Monday, July 27, announced that it will withdraw all cases and legal proceedings initiated against people who participated in protests over the alleged NEET-UG 2026 examination irregularities, becoming the second state after Bihar to do so.
In a press release issued by the Home and Political Department, the government said five cases had been registered in Assam in connection with the protests, leading to the arrest of 13 people.
The government stated that no adverse legal action would be initiated by any police authority in the state against those who participated in the protests before 6 PM on July 26.
"As regards these cases registered prior to 6 pm on 26.07.2026, after careful consideration of all aspects of the circumstances and the consequent need to strengthen accountability and undertake systemic reforms across the examination and higher education ecosystem, the Government of Assam has decided that no adverse legal action will be initiated by any of the Police authorities within the State against those persons who have been involved in these protests," the release said.
The government added that the process of withdrawing the registered cases, irrespective of the stage of proceedings, would be initiated promptly in accordance with the law. It also said the review of arrests and the release of those already detained would be carried out expeditiously.
Earlier in the day, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) alleged that the Centre had failed to fully implement the understanding reached during talks on July 25 regarding legal action against protesters.
Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka claimed that "hundreds of students" had been arrested in BJP-ruled states despite the agreement.
"We demand that all FIRs against the protesters be immediately withdrawn, students be released, and no fresh FIRs be filed (in line with our agreement) by the Delhi Police, central investigative agencies, or police in BJP-allied states. Failing this, we will be forced to resume our protest. We also demand that the written agreement on legal cases be shared with us by tomorrow, along with the timelines agreed upon with the Government of India," Ranka said. He was accompanied by Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal and CJP spokesperson Saurav Das.
The CJP also announced a nationwide legal aid cell and launched an online evidence-gathering platform named SAAKSHI. Sibal announced a ₹1 crore corpus to establish and operate the legal aid network for protesters.
Earlier, the Bihar government had issued a similar order stating that no "punitive, retaliatory, or adverse legal action" would be taken against those who participated in the protests before 6 pm on July 26. The state also said those arrested or detained before the cut-off time would be released expeditiously and no direct or indirect action would be taken against those named in cases registered before the deadline.
According to the Bihar government, 694 people were taken into custody during the Bihar bandh on July 25, of whom 339 minors and students were released after verification.
While Assam and Bihar have announced the withdrawal of cases, the West Bengal government has yet to make a similar decision.