Kerala Government Withdraws Cases Linked to NEET Protests
Kerala's Decision on NEET Protest Cases
The Kerala government has decided to retract all cases filed in connection with protests supporting the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) movement across the state. This announcement was made by Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala on Friday.
Speaking to reporters, Chennithala stated that this decision was influenced by requests from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan. He noted that numerous youth organizations and political parties organized demonstrations throughout Kerala in response to alleged irregularities in NEET.
Chennithala remarked, 'Several cases were registered due to those protests. We received numerous requests to withdraw these cases. The Chief Minister forwarded all those requests to me, and I have instructed the Director General of Police (DGP) not to take any further action on these cases.' Although some first information reports (FIRs) were filed, the protests were peaceful and addressed a matter of national significance.
He added, 'This was a significant movement raising public issues. Even the Supreme Court has taken a positive stance on this matter. There were no violent incidents. Therefore, I have directed the DGP not to proceed with any actions regarding the registered cases.' When asked about the number of cases to be withdrawn, he stated that instructions have been issued to halt any further actions regardless of the number of cases.
Additionally, following complaints regarding drug use and sales within prisons, a joint search operation named 'Operation Storm' is ongoing across state prisons, conducted by the police and prison department. In response to a question about the alleged involvement of delivery personnel in drug trafficking, Chennithala emphasized that the government will take strict measures against such activities.
He warned, 'The use of delivery personnel for distributing drugs will not be tolerated under any circumstances. Strict action will be taken against those involved.' Regarding the decision by the vigilance department to close the 'Renewal' Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) case against Satheesan, Chennithala mentioned that the investigation agency found no evidence against the Chief Minister.
He explained that the vigilance director indicated that the alleged violations of the FCRA do not fall under the jurisdiction of the state agency and that if necessary, central agencies would need to conduct the investigations.