The Delhi High Court has quashed an FIR against a Staff Selection Commission (SSC) aspirant booked in connection with a protest at Ramlila Maidan, observing that mere participation in a demonstration does not establish a common intention to disobey police orders or obstruct police personnel. 

Justice Sanjeev Narula held that the petitioner could not be prosecuted without material showing that he knowingly participated in the alleged disobedience or shared a common intention to commit the offence. 

The case arose from a protest held at Ramlila Maidan in August 2025 by SSC aspirants over alleged irregularities in the conduct of the commission’s examination. 

According to the prosecution, some organisers refused to call off the demonstration after the permitted time had expired and instigated protesters to remain at the venue until their demands were met. 

The Delhi police subsequently registered an FIR alleging that some protesters had violated prohibitory orders issued under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita by continuing to occupy the ground. The police also alleged that some protesters pushed and scuffled with police personnel. 

The court, however, noted that neither the FIR nor the subsequent status report attributed any specific criminal act to the petitioner. His presence among the protesters, without material indicating a common intention to commit an offence, was insufficient to make out a case under Section 223(a) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deals with disobedience of an order lawfully promulgated by a public servant. 

“The petitioner cannot be subjected to criminal proceedings merely on account of his presence amongst the protesters, in the absence of material indicating his knowing participation in the alleged disobedience or any common intention to commit the offence. The continuation of the proceedings against him, in these circumstances, would serve no worthwhile purpose,” the court said in its October 13 order. 

“Mere participation in the same demonstration does not, by itself, establish a common intention to disobey lawful directions or obstruct police personnel. The material on record does not disclose any basis for attributing such common intention to the petitioner,” it held. 

The Delhi police’s Crime Branch has registered a fresh FIR to examine the alleged presence and role of 2,873 people with criminal records at the ‘Chalo Sansad’ march held on July 20 and find out whether the violence was premeditated, sources said.

The protest march was called by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) seeking the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as Union Education Minister over the alleged NEET-UG question paper leak. Mr. Pradhan resigned on July 25, and the month-long CJP protest was called off.

According to the Delhi police, more than 200 police personnel allegedly sustained injuries during the march while over 65 protesters were also injured. The police had also said more than 15 police vehicles were damaged during the clashes.

The police claimed that they had identified more than 2,800 people with criminal records who were allegedly involved in the violence and stone-pelting during the July 20 protest.

The Supreme Court on September 1 had ordered quashing of criminal cases against protesters involved in nationwide protests linked to the CJP. The court, however, allowed the police to file a “fresh and specific” FIR against 2,873 individuals with criminal antecedents, who were spotted by facial recognition technology at the Jantar Mantar protest site in central Delhi.

The police subsequently cancelled 17 FIRs.

Investigators will now verify whether those with criminal antecedents were among the protesters. Investigators will also reconstruct the events to establish whether the violence was planned or individuals with criminal intent joined the march and became involved in the clashes.

The probe will cover alleged attacks on police personnel, vandalism, and damage to government and public property, including police vehicles.

It will also examine whether those identified had links to student organisations and other groups involved in the agitation.