India's top court orders release of minors arrested during exam leak protests

India's Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the release of all minors arrested during nationwide protests over exam paper leaks and directed authorities to preserve surveillance footage and protesters' digital data amid allegations of police brutality.

Indian media reported that Chief Justice Surya Kant also barred authorities from taking coercive action against those who participated in the demonstrations and ordered the preservation of their digital and personal data.

According to the reports, the court issued the interim directions in response to petitions filed by student protesters and activists seeking action against police and paramilitary forces over the alleged use of excessive force and pellet guns during weeks-long demonstrations in New Delhi and other cities.

The court ordered authorities to preserve all available footage, including recordings from drones, body cameras and CCTV cameras, and ensure that protesters' personal data is not made public.

"Whoever has committed excesses or atrocities against innocent people, the law will take care of them. For that, there needs to be a completely independent and fair investigation," Chief Justice Kant was quoted by legal news portal Live Law as saying.

"A probe is meaningless if no responsibility is fixed," he added before issuing the interim directions.

The government has defended the police response, saying officers acted lawfully to control crowds.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that while allegations of attacks on students could not be taken lightly, around 250 police officers were also injured during the protests. He added that the government had no objection to an independent investigation, according to media reports.

The protests, sparked by the leak of question papers for the national medical college entrance examination, ended on Saturday after the education minister resigned and the government accepted key demands, including exam reforms, the withdrawal of cases against protesters and compensation for the families of students who died by suicide following the leaks.

Clashes broke out between protesters and security forces in several parts of the country during the demonstrations. In New Delhi, protesters attempting to march towards Parliament were dispersed with tear gas and baton charges.

Authorities also suspended a police officer in eastern India for firing shots into the air with an assault rifle to disperse student protesters over the weekend.

Reuters reported on Monday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government was facing criticism over the use of AI-powered surveillance during the protests after demonstrators shared images of a mobile police surveillance van equipped with cameras mounted on a telescopic mast, providing a 360-degree view of crowds.

The Cockroach Janta Party, which led the movement, alleged on Monday that "hundreds" of students had been arrested across several states despite the government's commitment.