Supreme Court orders probe, releases detained minors

The Supreme Court has ordered an independent investigation into allegations of police excesses during recent nationwide student protests and directed authorities to release detained minors and halt coercive action against student protesters. The rulings came on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, as the court heard petitions concerning demonstrations over irregularities in competitive examinations, including the NEET paper leak.

A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana, stated that the allegations prima facie warranted a fair, transparent, and independent probe. The court said it would consider forming a high-powered committee or a Special Investigation Team after receiving responses from the central government and several state governments. The investigation is to examine claims of excessive force against protesters as well as violence against police personnel, with the Chief Justice emphasizing that accountability must be fixed wherever the law was breached.

In a series of interim orders, the bench directed the immediate release of all children below 18 years of age who were detained during the protests, provided they have...