NEET exam paper leak protests in Kolkata devolved into violence, with outsiders allegedly disrupting demonstrations and attacking media personnel. Police intervention and subsequent arrests have highlighted the complexities of distinguishing genuine protesters from criminals, while legal challenges to the act and recent bail for the accused raise further questions.

NEET exam paper leak protests in Kolkata devolved into violence, with outsiders allegedly disrupting demonstrations and attacking media personnel. Police intervention and subsequent arrests have highlighted the complexities of distinguishing genuine protesters from criminals, while legal challenges to the act and recent bail for the accused raise further questions.

NEET exam paper leak protests in Kolkata devolved into violence, with outsiders allegedly disrupting demonstrations and attacking media personnel. Police intervention and subsequent arrests have highlighted the complexities of distinguishing genuine protesters from criminals, while legal challenges to the act and recent bail for the accused raise further questions.

The domino effect of the NEET exam paper leak protests trickled down from Delhi to Kolkata. However, protests by Left Front-backed student organisations along with Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) last Friday took an unexpected turn with outsiders joining in and creating mayhem. The protests from Sealdah to Esplanade soon turned violent, with violence and verbal abuse inflicted on the media fraternity while phones and microphones were also stolen.

Police resorted to mild lathi-charge to disperse a section of the unruly crowd after attacks erupted. The protests that were to end by early evening went on till night well beyond the permission time, blocking traffic at the arterial junction of Esplanade. What was supposed to be a Left Front protest, for which they sought police permission, was no longer in the their control. The violent crowd were later found to be outsiders. At least 16 people were arrested in the following days, more so from minority-dominated areas of the city. How were they identified? Through video footage and CCTV cameras, which caught them hurling shoes, bottles and bamboo sticks.

Seven FIRs were filed and subsequent arrests made under the West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti-Social Activities Act, 2026 also known as the anti-goonda Act. The arrested were to be the first cases to be tried under this Act, which at the same time is being challenged in the Calcutta High Court. The division bench is reviewing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the validity of the Act. The case is yet to come up for hearing. The law permits state authorities to detain individuals for up to 12 months without trial, on suspicion of being troublemakers.

After the incident, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said those arrested were not students and termed them as fundamentalists whose intention was to create major trouble in the city. Adhikari went on to say the attackers had pent up anger against the state administration due to changes in the Other Backward Class certificates and implementing the act against public slaughter of animals.

Five accused were taken barefoot to Esplanade for crime reconstruction on Monday to establish the sequence of events and their role. Family members of the 16 accused cried foul, stating innocence. All accused were remanded in judicial custody till July 30 but went on to secure bail granted by the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s court barely an hour later against a bond of ₹500 each. Lawyers appearing for the accused cited the Supreme Court order of no coercive action to be taken against protestors other than those with previous criminal records. Five of the 16 accused had criminal antecedents.

The lines are blurred between genuine students protesting versus outsiders joining in to create unnecessary trouble. While CJP fights to keep its students safe from the law turning on them, the SC order provided a safety net for violators in Kolkata who got away from diving into further trouble. What happens to the safety of journalists on duty? No protest rally by the media fraternity or a Tiranga rally by BJP against violators on Monday could ensure prevention of further attacks on media persons. The anger by some sections of protesters against the state administration and media continues to simmer, with the possibility of spilling onto the streets again.

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