Defensive Gear Is More Important Than Offensive Ones: Supreme Court Stresses Equal Concern For Injured Police Personnel In NEET Protests

The Supreme Court emphasized that injuries suffered by on-duty police officers during the nationwide NEET-UG 2026 paper leak protests are a matter of equal concern alongside allegations of police excesses against student demonstrators.

The Court noted that any proposed Special Investigation Team (SIT) or independent probe must comprehensively investigate violence from both sides to establish the complete truth. The Court agreed that the issues require clear bifurcation.

Supporting a holistic probe, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted that while student rights and police excesses cannot be taken lightly, the State must simultaneously ensure that law enforcement forces are not demoralized, emphasizing that "THE TRUTH" must ultimately come before the Court.

The Bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V. Mohana noted, "We will also record that, as per the submissions made by learned counsel representing the police personnel or their family members, similar kinds of allegations have been made by them, stating that protesters or anti-social elements who entered the protest site indulged in stone-pelting and other acts of violence, thereby causing multiple serious injuries to police personnel while they were performing their duty."

Senior Advocate Sridhar Potaraju appeared for the injured police personnel in an Application.

During the hearing, Justice Bagchi then said, "When the situation turns out of control, then the defensive gear is more important than the offensive gear...When you see the disproportionate use of force, dehors the submission made that it was orchestrated, let us not go into that, but when it is a matter of moment decision, if I have a helmet...I will take few minutes more to use the tear gas...That time lag helps to control the mob better."

Acknowledging submissions made on behalf of injured officers and their families regarding coordinated stone-pelting and assaults by anti-social elements, the Court indicated that any proposed independent probe or SIT must comprehensively investigate violence from both sides to ensure complete justice.

Solicitor General Mehta submitted, "I am appearing for the Central Government and for the State of Delhi. I am not appearing for the other States...So far as I have understood, there is one set of petitioners who say that the students were subjected to brutal police action, if that is so, it cannot be taken lightly and the Government also does not take such allegations lightly. Students have a right to protest peacefully. If anyone has violated the law of the land, that person must be proceeded against and punished, subject to the satisfaction of this Court...The is another aspect that is the police officers are here, for example, in Mr Potaraju's case...he is a police officer who has stitches and all. I have the figure that there are 250 policemen who have received injuries, so as a State, we also cannot do anything that would demoralise the police force. So there would be one truth, another truth and THE TRUTH, so THE TRUTH must come before you."

CJI Kant said, "That 200-odd police officers who have been injured or suffered injuries. The issues, therefore, need to be further bifurcated, and that can only be done through a proper probe..."

Senior Advocate Sridhar Potaraju submitted that officers were subjected to severe physical attacks, including heavy stone-pelting, causing life-threatening injuries to personnel on duty in Delhi and other states, including Madhya Pradesh (Indore) and Uttar Pradesh (Lucknow).

He submitted, "My application's prayer (c) says issue necessary directions to ensure accountability on persons instigating, abetting and inflciting violence on the police personnel...this is definitely something...this is orchestrated...granite stones, footpath stones were removed, sharpened and thrown at them. Infact, the officer's family told me that he was wearing his regular cap...it pierced it. This is the seriousness of the assault on men and women in the uniform...assault has been orchestrated."

Earlier today, while issuing notices to the Union Government, the NCT of Delhi, and seven major States to place their responses on record, the apex court issued interim directions prohibiting coercive action against students without criminal antecedents, ordering the immediate release of all detained minors, and mandating the preservation of all digital evidence and CCTV footage.

The Court has also agreed to list an intervention application filed by food volunteer Junaid Malik, who alleged that he was illegally abducted, blindfolded, and dropped on a remote highway near Mussoorie by police personnel for managing food stalls at the NEET 2026 protest site. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Union of India and the State of NCT of Delhi, strongly objected upon mentioning of the plea, arguing that Malik was not a victim and that it constituted a separate issue.

Accordingly, the matter will now be heard on a later date.

Cause Title: Shailendra Mani Tripathi v. Union of India & Ors.[W.P.(Crl.) No. 280/2026] and Himanshu v. Union of India & Ors. [W.P.(Crl.) No. 279/2026]