India NEET paper leak protests: Police detain protesters, remove social media posts in multiple states

Multiple reports of people, including minors, being detained or arrested by the police, and social media users being asked to take down posts related to the demonstrations have come to the fore

Published - July 29, 2026 11:05 pm IST - NEW DELHI

By Vijaita Singh and Ishita Mishra

The fallout from last week's nationwide protests demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan continues, amid multiple reports of people, including minors, being detained or arrested by the police, and social media users being asked to take down posts related to the demonstrations.

Detention in Prayagraj

A 21-year-old man, who was detained by the police in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj after being identified from a photograph taken while he was participating in a protest on July 26, was released on Wednesday (July 29, 2026).

The victim, who did not wish to be identified, said that he was beaten up in police custody and the police wrongly accused him of vandalising a private vehicle, which belonged to a Bharatiya Janata Party member.

"They first called my father to the police station and then my mother. It was then that I went and surrendered myself to the police. I was merely there to protest, I was not involved in any vandalism, yet I was kept in detention for more than a day," the victim said.

The Prayagraj Police had registered three First Information Reports (FIRs) at the Civil Lines police station on July 26 and July 27 in connection with the alleged vandalism of vehicles. The complainant in two cases are from the BJP, while in the third case, the son of a former BJP MP.

When contacted, a police official who answered the phone of Manish Kumar Shandilya, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Prayagraj City, said: "Nobody has been detained. People had been called for questioning based on CCTV footage, but they were released."

Ten others were arrested in the case.

Detention of Minor in Bihar

Rishav Ranjan of the Congress party's legal cell said that a 17-year-old boy from Bhagalpur in Bihar, who participated in a protest on July 25, was detained by the police from his home around 3:45 a.m. on July 26. The juvenile was among 40 others who were detained or arrested by the Bhagalpur Police after the protests turned violent.

Atulesh Jha, Superintendent of Police, Bhagalpur City, said the juvenile was produced before the Juvenile Justice Board and the family was aware of his whereabouts.

"As per the assurance given by the Bihar government, the case pertaining to the violence during the (students) protest is being withdrawn and all the people who were arrested are being released. We have written to the JJ Board informing them about the withdrawal of the case and he will be released," Mr. Jha said.

The officer added that the police were also withdrawing photographs of 155 people, including boys and girls, that had been released on the basis of CCTV footage and showed individuals allegedly involved in violence during the protests.

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