Supreme Court flags abuse of process against student protesters

The Story in Brief

The Supreme Court on Tuesday restrained police from taking coercive action against protesting students unless they have criminal antecedents, taking cognisance of multiple petitions alleging illegal detentions. The court heard a plea by a first-year law student, Yogesh Meena, who was arrested in 11 FIRs after the Noida workers' protest. His lawyer told the bench that the student was picked up from outside college, beaten, and subjected to casteist slurs. The court noted the alleged abuse of process but suggested the student pursue remedies such as bail and quashing of FIRs.

In a separate petition, a volunteer distributing food at Jantar Mantar claimed he was blindfolded, detained overnight, and abandoned near Dehradun by Delhi Police personnel. Another petition by a Bihar law student alleged he was arrested without grounds and kept in custody despite the state government's decision not to take punitive action against protesters. The court has allowed investigations to continue but restrained arrests of students without criminal antecedents.