Centre promises to withdraw NEET protest FIRs. Why the process may still take time

5 min readJul 28, 2026 04:14 PM IST Hundreds protested in Mumbai’s Chembur against NEET paper-leak (Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty)The Centre has assured the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) that cases against peaceful protesters in the NEET paper leak agitation will be withdrawn. Bihar and Assam have already announced that criminal cases and legal proceedings against protesters will be dropped, while Maharashtra is expected to discuss the issue at Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting. Yet, across several states, protesters continue to receive police notices and summons, raising questions about why action is continuing despite the government’s assurance. The answer lies in the legal process.While governments can decide to withdraw cases, the procedure depends on the stage of the investigation and the m