Patna: In a significant climbdown following widespread criticism of its handling of student protests, the Bihar government on Monday announced that it will withdraw all cases registered against demonstrators before 6 pm on July 26 and immediately release those arrested during the statewide crackdown on protests demanding the resignation of former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The decision comes after days of public outrage over police action against students and youth activists who participated in demonstrations organised in support of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). The protests, held across Bihar, drew thousands of students and activists, with clashes reported in several districts and hundreds taken into custody.
In an official statement, the Bihar Home Department said no punitive or retaliatory legal action would be taken against anyone who participated in the protests before the stipulated deadline. The order also directed authorities to release all individuals arrested or detained in connection with cases registered before July 26.
The statement, issued by Special Secretary Kshtranil Singh, marks a major policy reversal after mounting pressure from opposition parties, student organisations and civil rights groups, which had accused the government of using excessive force to suppress peaceful demonstrations.
According to Bihar Police, 694 people were detained during the July 25 statewide strike, jointly organised by the All India Students’ Association (AISA) and the Revolutionary Youth Association (RYA) in solidarity with the CJP’s protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. Of those detained, 355 were remanded to judicial custody, while 339 minors and other detainees were released after officials verified their ages.
Violence was reported in at least 13 districts, with Patna witnessing the largest number of detentions. Police had earlier maintained that action was taken to prevent damage to public property and maintain law and order.
Welcoming the government’s announcement, CJP spokesperson Saurav Das described it as a “major relief” for students and protesters. In a post on X, he said the decision came only hours after the party warned of launching protests in Delhi if the detainees were not released and the criminal cases were not withdrawn.
Before the government’s announcement, families of those detained had alleged widespread harassment by police. They claimed many students were picked up while travelling or returning home, without being informed of the reasons for their detention or where they were being taken. Several relatives alleged that detainees were assaulted and booked under serious, non-bailable provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), forcing families to spend nearly 30 to 35 hours searching police stations across Patna before learning that many had been shifted to Beur Jail late at night.
Meanwhile, police action linked to the student protests continued in other states. In West Bengal, authorities said 16 people had been arrested in connection with alleged violence during protest rallies and booked under the West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti-social Activities Act and the West Bengal Maintenance of Public Order (Amendment) Act. Police also registered complaints against actor Sreelekha Mitra over an allegedly objectionable cartoon of Prime Minister Narendra Modi displayed during a demonstration.
In Uttar Pradesh, Prayagraj Police arrested 10 people accused of vandalising vehicles during student protests in Civil Lines on July 25. Three FIRs have been registered under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, while an additional complaint was filed by a BJP leader alleging that unidentified protesters attacked his vehicle and threatened him.
The Bihar government’s decision is being viewed as a significant concession to the student movement and is likely to influence the course of protests in the coming days, even as demonstrations and legal action continue in other parts of the country.
