Protesters dragged on road, detained: Scenes from Mumbai’s Chembur NEET paper-leak protest
Close to 300 individuals including students, parents, youngsters and senior citizens gathered near Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Garden in Chembur in Mumbai amid heavy police deployment.
CJP protest in Mumbai: Despite a crackdown by Mumbai Police, with large-scale detention and multiple notices issued to participants over the past few days, protests in the city continued for the third consecutive day on Wednesday.
Thousands joined multiple protests held across the city in support of the CJP demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and reforms in the education system in light of the NEET paper-leak. Apart from a large gathering of students, parents and others at Dadar’s Shivaji park in the evening, there were smaller protests held in places such as Chembur, Juhu and Powai during different times of the day – each called by different organisations.
Mumbai police detained hundreds of individuals from different protest sites as participants gathered and started sloganeering.
“The police have a typical style of coming with a full force from behind the protesters to push them into the police vehicle and in the process the gathering is disbursed, each trying to get away from the commotion. It is our right to protest, and we were all peaceful then why are people being detained,” said Pranav Solanki, an engineering student and Kandivali resident who was present for the Dadar protest.
Anti NEET paper leak protesters were dragged on the road by the police and detained (Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty)
His friend was just detained then. “And he has accompanied me without telling his parents about his plans to participate in the protest,” said Solanki adding that now he is worried about how to tell the friend’s parents.
Nearly thousand protesters gathered at Dadar’s Shivaji park in batches for the entire Wednesday evening. Among those protesting at Dadar were three members from a single family. Sameena Ahmedji was accompanying her two daughters Saniya and Sidra who wanted to be part of the protest.
“Our family understands the pressure of appearing for NEET. We have seen it closely when I was preparing for it. I got a BAMS seat and now I am pursuing masters in hostel administration for a job,” said Sidra. Sameena said that she has been witnessing the way police are handling youngsters participating in the protest. “I accompanied them because I did not want them to be on their own. We hope the protests bring about a change in the examination system,” she said.
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Earlier in the day, close to 300 protesters including students, parents, youngsters and senior citizens gathered near Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Garden in Chembur, amid heavy police deployment.
Protest against NEET paper leak in Mumbai’s Chembur. (Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty)
Among the protesters was Robin Ransom (27), a working professional who said that it is disheartening to see students dying because the system has failed. “We are seeking action against those responsible (for NEET paper leak) should be taken,” said Ransom.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leaders Raj Thackeray addressed the crowd gathered at the Dadar’s Shivaji Park area following which his son Amit Thackeray along with Shiv Sena UBT leader Aditya Thackeray informed participants about another protest on Friday at the same spot.
Meanwhile, student organisations have decided to hold closed-door meetings to discuss the issue, amid prohibitory orders issued by authorities.
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A protest planned for Thursday is now converted into a public meeting to be held at Patrakar Bhavan in CST where Tushar Gandhi will address the crowd. Samya Korde from Progressive Students Union said that the protests will continue as long as they can. “We are also providing legal guidance to students who have received notices,” she said.
Amir Kazi, from All India Student Federation (AISF) Mumbai unit, said, “The plan also includes identifying a place in the city which can be developed as Cockroach Kranti Baug, on the lines of Shaeen Baug during the CAA/NRC protests.”
The developments also echoed inside the Mumbai University Senate meeting held on Wednesday, where Yuva Sena student representatives urged the university to back the nationwide protests over the alleged NEET paper leak.
Pallavi Smart is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, Mumbai Bureau. Her reporting is singularly focused on the education sector, demonstrating exceptional Expertise and Authority across the entire spectrum of learning, from foundational schooling to advanced higher education. She is a highly Trustworthy source for policy, institutional developments, and systemic issues affecting students, teachers, and parents in Maharashtra.
Expertise
Senior Role: As a Principal Correspondent at The Indian Express, her designation reflects her seniority, specialized knowledge, and the editorial rigor applied to her reporting.
Core Authority & Specialization: Pallavi Smart is the definitive voice for Education news in the region. Her coverage scope is comprehensive:
Policy and Regulatory Changes: Reports on major shifts in educational policy, including the restructuring of entrance exams (e.g., MHT-CET adopting the JEE Main model), the draft regulatory framework for coaching classes, and revised teacher recruitment processes.
Higher Education Institutions (HEIs): Provides in-depth reporting on prestigious institutes like IIT Bombay and TISS (Tata Institute of Social Sciences), covering institutional initiatives, administrative debates (e.g., renaming IIT Bombay), and student welfare programs (e.g., mandatory mental health courses).
Teachers and Eligibility: Covers crucial issues affecting the teaching fraternity, such as the mandatory Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) for in-service teachers and related controversies and application numbers.
Student Welfare & Rights: Focuses on issues concerning students, including the rollout of government scholarships, the financial strain on schools due to midday meal reimbursement delays, and instances of child rights violations (e.g., the Powai studio hostage crisis).
Admissions and Vacancy: Tracks the outcome of centralized admission processes (e.g., MBBS, BPharm) and analyzes vacancy concerns, providing essential data-driven insights for parents and students.
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Dedicated Beat: Her consistent focus on the "KG to PG" education beat allows her to develop unparalleled subject matter knowledge, ensuring her reports are accurate, detailed, and contextualized.
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Anti NEET paper leak protesters were dragged on the road by the police and detained (Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty)
Protest against NEET paper leak in Mumbai’s Chembur. (Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty)