SC quashes FIRs against NEET protesters, but with a caveat for 'hardened criminals'

NEW DELHI: Supreme Court on Tuesday invoked its special powers and quashed all FIRs registered against student protesters in different parts of the country during the NEET paper leak protests.The bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana said the order had been passed in view of the peculiar facts and circumstances of the case and shall not be treated as a precedent.The apex court said it was invoking its special powers under Article 142 of the Constitution considering the future of the students who bona fide participated in the protests.The court, however, allowed Delhi Police to pursue the FIR against 2,873 individuals who were present at the Jantar Mantar protests, citing their serious criminal antecedents.This comes a day after the Centre