Delhi Police will wait for formal instructions from the competent authority before taking any action on the Centre’s announcement to withdraw cases against protesters involved in the NEET paper leak agitation, police sources said on Sunday.
According to the sources, 15 FIRs have been registered at different police stations in the New Delhi district over the July 20 violence and other incidents linked to the ongoing protests.
The clarification comes a day after Union Minister JP Nadda, during a joint press conference with Cockroach Janata Party spokespersons Saurav Das and Abhiseh Ranka, announced that the government had agreed to withdraw FIRs filed against the protesters. He also said the Centre would provide a written assurance on the agreed demands by Tuesday.
A police source said any decision regarding the withdrawal of the cases would be taken only after official communication and detailed guidelines are received from the competent authority.
However, officials made it clear that the announcement would not affect the ongoing investigation into the alleged larger conspiracy behind the July 20 clashes.
Investigators are continuing to examine CCTV footage, digital evidence, mobile phone records, and witness statements to reconstruct the sequence of events and identify those suspected of planning, instigating, or participating in the violence.
Police have also used their Facial Recognition System (FRS) to identify more than 2,500 people with criminal backgrounds or those classified as bad characters in connection with the investigation.
According to police sources, the violence left more than 200 police personnel and 70 protesters injured. Several government vehicles and other public property were also damaged during the clashes.
Officials said the conspiracy probe will continue regardless of whether the FIRs are eventually withdrawn. All evidence collected during the investigation will remain part of the ongoing inquiry as police continue to examine the circumstances surrounding the violence.