The Jantar Mantar protests held by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and NEET students, against the 2026 paper leaks and especially the demand for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, finally emerged victorious on July 25, 2026. But now, the protesters are dealing with another issue, that of Protest FIRs.
The protests that had been ongoing for almost two months had activist Sonam Wangchuk going on a 26-day hunger strike, thousands of protesters from all parts of India, of all ages, genders, and walks of life being tear-gassed and beaten by the Delhi Police, but the people still standing united against a single cause were then finally called off.
While the CJP had the government bend to their demands, not just the resignation of Pradhan, but the removal of all FIRs and cases against the protesters, however, it might not be that smooth sailing.
What Is Happening After The Protests?
The Delhi Police, which was in charge of maintaining peace and order around the protest site at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, was not just idly standing by. Videos and photos and post upon post showed how the authorities did seem to be taking a very aggressive and over-the-top method to deal with the protesters.
Constantly, social media was flooded with tens and hundreds of people from the protest being detained and arrested by the Delhi Police for participating in the protests.
The police then also filed First Information Reports (FIRs) against these people for various reasons.
The joint press conference held between Union ministers J.P. Nadda and Jitendra Singh and CJP representatives Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka had the government agree, among other things, to withdraw all criminal cases filed against protesting students and put that withdrawal in writing.
This second part, of the FIRs being withdrawn, though, seems to be taking some time. With spokesperson Saurav Das in a statement claiming that the CJP had received reports of protesters being “targeted, detained, or arrested by various state agencies,” particularly in Assam, Bengal and Bihar, and warned that “the FIRs registered ought to be withdrawn too.”
While the protesters have stood by their decision to call out the government, some have raised the fear about whether these FIRs could harm their future careers, foreign studies, and even their passports.
Ashwini Verma, 28, was quoted by India Today Digital as saying, “I am preparing for the Provincial Civil Service (PCS) exam. I have a fear of a case being lodged against me, but there is an independent judiciary in this country. I believe in it. If a false case is filed against me, I will get acquitted. That is why I am protesting here. My being here is important because I am also a student suffering from this education system. Each and every voice is important. The most I can do is wear a mask. That is why I am wearing it — to differ from any false charges against me for attending the protest.”
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What Impact Can Protest FIRs Have On Your Life?
While, there is a lot of fear mongering happening among people, with many making fake claims about how passports will be cancelled, and other harmful affects, anything involving the police and legal complaints could have a potential impact on one’s life though.
India Today spoke with a Supreme Court advocate, who anonymously explained that there might be some weight to this fear.
They said, “If an FIR gets registered in your name, that is an entry against your identity. Tomorrow, if I go to apply for a visa or any kind of thing where I need to declare that I have an FIR against me, it does play a role in getting a visa or higher education and jobs. Even if the FIR is closed and I have been acquitted, I still have to declare it in many places, including passport, visa applications. That declaration point is happening. It does affect your system, especially depending on what work you want to do, what higher education you want to seek, what visa you are applying for. It is a very justified fear.”
Senior criminal advocate, Dinesh Tiwari, was also quoted in reports saying, “The police should have refrained from taking hasty action, such as registering Zero FIRs, against protesting students, as peaceful demonstrations should be accommodated within a constitutional democracy. Criminal cases arising from protests could create difficulties for students during important stages of their careers. Background verification processes for government employment, professional positions, and educational opportunities often require disclosure of legal cases. Such proceedings could affect students’ ability to access opportunities even if the cases eventually do not result in convictions.”
Career
Regarding career prospects, a public policy professional with the Odisha Chief Minister’s Office told India Today that “It is very difficult [to participate in protests], especially for policy professionals who see the workings of the government. It is not just about government employees.
It is also about contractors working with the government, or people working with organisations that aim to collaborate with the government — non-profit, for-profit or consulting. In some job contracts, it is explicitly mentioned that they are prohibited or discouraged from voicing opinions even in private social media spaces. If someone is participating in a protest, they have to be super mindful not to get identified in any way. Even a small detention can lead to unwarranted consequences in professional life.”
Passport
There was a viral claim going around that the passports of the CJP protesters would be cancelled. However, this was debunked by the Delhi Police, who clarified in a tweet made on July 23, 2026, that “No such decision has been announced.”
The Delhi Police stated, “The viral claim is misleading. No such decision has been announced to cancel the passports of CJP protestors. Citizens are advised not to share or amplify misleading posts and to rely only on official information.”
An FIR, though, cannot be the sole grounds for the refusal of a passport to an Indian citizen.
Although the passsport authority can refuse a passport to an applicant under Section 6(2)(f) of the Passports Act, 1967, where it states, “that proceedings in respect of an offence alleged to have been committed by the applicant are pending before a criminal court in India;” or under Section 6(2)(g) “that a warrant or summons for the appearance, or a warrant for the arrest, of the applicant has been issued by a court under any law for the time being in force or that an order prohibiting the departure from India of the applicant has been made by any such court.”
However, High Courts of various states like Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Haryana, and Madras have clarified that a single FIR being registered against a person, or even an ongoing investigation, is not enough for a passport refusal.
What an FIR can do is complicate the process, with individuals needing to submit a No Objection Certificate (NOC) given by a court when applying for a new passport or renewing one.
Foreign Studies
Bombay High Court lawyer and human rights advocate Vinod Shetty, also speaking with India Today Digital, explained previous instances where universities like JNU and some IITs have expelled students or taken disciplinary action against students who have FIRs registered against them.
However, Shetty added that, “It will show up somewhere, but if they are not convicted, ideally, it should not make any great impact on their service. Students should not worry about it, because finally, every student movement in every generation has had a history. Students will get involved in politics and students will have cases put on them.”
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: India Today, The Economic Times, Live Law
Find the blogger: @chirali_08
This post is tagged under: Protest FIR, Protest india, Protest india 2026, gen z protest, gen z protest india, jantar mantar, jantar mantar protest, jantar mantar protest 2026, cjp, CJP protest, cjp protest delhi, cjp protest jantar mantar, cjp protest news, delhi protests,, student protest, student protest india, student protest india 2026
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