New Delhi, July 24, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Delhi High Court on Friday allowed the withdrawal of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a direction for a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the alleged security breach attempt near Parliament during the July 20 “Sansad Chalo” protest over the NEET paper leak issue.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia permitted the petitioner to withdraw the plea with liberty to pursue other legal remedies available under law. The court observed that under the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008, the decision to hand over a case to the NIA rests with the Central government.
The Bench said the NIA is an investigating agency and not an inquiry body, and its jurisdiction can be invoked only through the procedure prescribed under Section 6 of the NIA Act.
“Tell us what is the statutory mechanism for invoking NIA jurisdiction,” the court observed during the hearing, adding that after registration of an FIR, the prescribed process is followed before the Centre decides whether a matter requires NIA investigation.
The court said it could not substitute its opinion for that of the Central government in deciding whether a case should be transferred to the NIA.
Appearing for the petitioner, advocate Barun Kumar Sinha argued that the alleged incidents during the protest involved serious offences and warranted investigation by a specialised agency. He claimed that the protest led to road blockages, closure of Metro stations and violations of fundamental rights.
The Bench, however, declined to direct a status report from police, noting that FIRs had been registered only recently and authorities were already examining the matter.
The PIL was filed by Satish Kumar Aggarwal, who alleged that the “Sansad Chalo” march over the alleged NEET paper leak resulted in obstruction of public movement, damage to property, attacks on journalists and injuries to police personnel.
The plea sought registration of an FIR, a comprehensive investigation into the July 20 protest and transfer of the probe to a specialised agency, including the NIA, if required.
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