Supreme Court directs authorities to free minors held in student protest crackdowns immediately

Prelims-testable facts

• 01The Supreme Court has ordered the immediate release of all minors held over student protests.
• 02The court restrained police from taking coercive action against student protesters or publicly disclosing their personal data.
• 03The order applies to states and Union Territories, directing them to register FIRs on allegations of police brutality and disproportionate police action.
• 04An independent probe is warranted due to alleged violence during recent student protests, as per the Supreme Court's observation.
• 05A high-powered committee may be formed to investigate alleged violence, suggested by a three-member bench of the Supreme Court.
• 06No coercive action can be taken against protestors who have no criminal antecedents, according to the court's order.

Trap alerts

• Most people think the Supreme Court only ordered the release of minors with no criminal records, but actually all minors held over student protests are to be released.
• Most people think the police can still take action against student protesters who have committed crimes in the past, but actually coercive action is restrained for all protestors.