NEET protest violence: SC orders safeguards for protesters' digital data, release of under-18 detainees

The Supreme Court has directed all states to release detained student protesters below 18 years of age with no criminal antecedents while hearing petitions alleging police excesses during the NEET paper leak protests. Observing that "agitations in a democracy are bound to happen," the court said a prima facie case for an independent probe had been made out and indicated it may constitute an SIT and a High Powered Committee to investigate incidents of violence, even as it works on a uniform nationwide protocol for protests and crowd-control.