KOLKATA: Sixteen persons arrested for their alleged involvement in violence during a rally organised by Left students with support from the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Esplanade in Kolkata on Friday, protesting the NEET paper leak, were granted bail by a city court on Tuesday, hardly within one hour after they were remanded to judicial custody till July 30.
The development came a day after the BJP-ruled Assam and Bihar governments withdrew all cases filed against protesters who had participated in separate protest programmes in the two states on the same day as part of a nationwide protest over the same issue.
The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court granted bail to the 16 accused against a bond of Rs 500 each.
Lawyers appearing for the accused argued in court, citing the Supreme Court’s order directing that no coercive action be taken against protesters other than those with criminal antecedents.
The Supreme Court has also asked all states to release children below 18 years who were arrested during the protest programmes.
Earlier this afternoon, rejecting their bail pleas, the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court remanded the 16 accused, against whom provisions of the newly legislated stringent Goonda Act have been applied, to judicial custody until July 30.
Following Friday’s unrest during the rally, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had stated that those who indulged in violence during the march had no connection with the NEET paper leak protest and were suspected to be anti-national elements.
At a news conference in Delhi on Monday, the CJP said it would be “forced to sit in protest again” if the FIRs were not withdrawn and the students were not released, as promised by the central government.
The CJP expressed concern over the arrests of protesters in West Bengal and Bihar. It also announced plans to launch a website where lawyers from across the country would be encouraged to register if they wanted to assist those facing prosecution. The initiative would be guided by senior advocate Kapil Sibal.
The CJP withdrew its street agitation following a promise from the Centre that protesters would not be targeted, at least in states ruled by the BJP or its allies. However, the Bengal government had continued its crackdown on those arrested.
Hours after the CJP’s warning, both Assam and Bihar governments issued separate notifications announcing the withdrawal of all cases filed against protesters who had participated in rallies held in the two states on Friday as part of a nationwide protest against the NEET paper leak.
During Tuesday’s hearing, the state’s counsel, while seeking their remand, argued before the court that releasing the accused persons on bail would severely hamper the investigation.
The Chief Minister, while addressing a rally in Jalpaiguri on Monday, asked BJP workers to remain vigilant against what he described as a resurgent ‘tukde tukde gang’.
In Kolkata, seven cases were registered at Hare Street and Entally police stations under the West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti Social Activities Act, 2026, also referred to as the ‘anti goonda law’, following Friday’s violence. The Bill was recently passed in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly.
Kolkata Police have arrested 16 men for their alleged involvement in vandalism during the protest.
Seventy people have been identified as alleged troublemakers who were involved in attacks on police personnel and media persons at the Esplanade Dorina Crossing, where thousands of students and common people had gathered after a protest march from Sealdah station, around 2 km away from the spot of violence on Friday.
While addressing the Assembly on Saturday, the Chief Minister had said that the state government had implemented the ‘anti goonda law’ for the first time since the Bill was passed in the House recently.
“The miscreants involved in the incident will be given strict punishment so that their three generations can keep it in their memory,” Suvendu had said, expressing displeasure over the alleged attacks on police and media persons at Esplanade.
“Police were repeatedly provoked by the agitators but they were restrained. Everybody has seen how shoes and bottles were hurled at police. The protesters wanted police to resort to lathi charge so that the ‘drama’ could continue, but police did not allow them to take the opportunity,” he had said in the House, adding, “Seventy people have been identified but none of them are students or CJP members. These people have no link with the NEET movement.”
