Chief Justice Surya Kant said only a representation was received by the Supreme Court
July 24, 2026: Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant on Friday strongly dismissed media reports claiming that the Supreme Court had refused to hear a petition alleging police excesses against student protesters. Clarifying the matter in open court, the CJI said no writ petition had been formally filed before the apex court and criticised sections of the media for portraying a simple representation as a registered case. He stated that, as of Friday morning, “not a single page” of such a petition had been filed.
Explaining the confusion, Justice Surya Kant said the court had only received a representation from an individual, which could not automatically be treated as a writ petition. He described reports suggesting otherwise as “irresponsible and reckless.” The controversy stemmed from an oral mentioning by a lawyer earlier this week, who sought an urgent hearing over allegations of excessive police force during the July 20 student protest linked to the alleged NEET-UG 2026 irregularities.
During the earlier mentioning, the lawyer had also offered to show videos of the alleged police action and sought wider relief, including directions regarding the National Testing Agency (NTA) and examination reforms. However, the bench declined to examine the videos during the mentioning stage. The Chief Justice clarified that no judicial decision had been taken because no formal petition had been instituted, reiterating that the Supreme Court had not rejected any case on the issue.