Kolkata NEET protest violence: 16 arrested as 2 more held on Monday
Synopsis
What began as an anti-NEET protest in Kolkata on 24 July turned violent — and the arrests keep coming. With 16 now in custody and all accused set to face West Bengal's newly enacted 2026 public safety law, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari is framing the violence not as student unrest but as a coordinated infiltration by 'fundamentalists.' That framing will face its own scrutiny as the trials unfold.
Key Takeaways
Total arrests in the Kolkata NEET protest violence case rose to 16 as of Monday, 27 July .
The two latest detainees are Waqar Azam ( 35 , Park Circus) and Zaved Akhtar ( 32 , Garden Reach), both to be produced in court on Monday.
Earlier, 14 persons were arrested between Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon using CCTV and video evidence.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari confirmed none of the 14 earlier arrestees were students, alleging they were 'fundamentalists' who infiltrated the rally.
All accused will be tried under the West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti-Social Activities Act, 2026 .
The rally on 24 July was organised against the NEET examination paper leak ; violence included projectiles hurled at police and journalists.
Two more individuals were arrested on Monday, 27 July in connection with the violence that erupted during the 24 July anti-NEET protest rally in Kolkata, bringing the total number of arrests to 16, officials confirmed. The detentions follow a wave of 14 arrests made between Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon, based on identifications from CCTV footage and video recordings of the incident.
Who Was Arrested
The two individuals nabbed on Monday morning have been identified as Waqar Azam (35), a resident of the Karaya Area in Park Circus, South-East Kolkata, and Zaved Akhtar (32), a resident of the Garden Reach area in the southern outskirts of the city. Both are set to be produced before a lower court in Kolkata later in the day, with the public prosecutor expected to seek their police custody.
What the Law Says
All those arrested in connection with the violence will be tried under the newly enacted West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti-Social Activities Act, 2026, which provides for stricter measures against violent and anti-social conduct. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had announced this course of action last week, reiterating it during remarks to the media on Sunday afternoon.
How the Violence Unfolded
Tension escalated at the joint rally organised by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and several student and youth organisations on 24 July, which had been convened to protest the NEET examination paper leak and related exam irregularities. A section of the crowd allegedly hurled glass bottles, stones, bricks, bamboo sticks, and shoes at police personnel. Several media persons covering the rally also sustained injuries and some required hospitalisation after being struck by the projectiles.
What the Chief Minister Said
Chief Minister Adhikari stated on Sunday that none of the 14 persons arrested up to that point was a student. He alleged that those identified through surveillance footage were, according to him, 'fundamentalists' who had infiltrated the protest posing as student activists with the intent to cause large-scale disruption. 'Their only aim was to disturb the peace in the state and the country. All of them will be dealt with under the newly enacted West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti-Social Activities Act, 2026,' Adhikari said.
What Happens Next
Investigators are continuing to review CCTV and video evidence, and further arrests cannot be ruled out. The cases will proceed under the 2026 Act, and the question of whether the accused will be granted bail is expected to be contested given the law's stricter provisions. The broader political fallout — over both the NEET paper leak that sparked the protests and the violence itself — is likely to intensify as the trials progress.
Point of View
Which appears documented on camera and warrants prosecution. The second is the Chief Minister's characterisation of the accused as 'fundamentalists' with a coordinated agenda — a claim that, if unverified, risks delegitimising the underlying NEET grievance, which is real and nationally recognised. Deploying a sweeping new public safety law on the first major test of its application sets a precedent worth watching closely; how courts interpret its provisions will matter well beyond this case.
NationPress
27 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people have been arrested in the Kolkata NEET protest violence case?
A total of 16 people have been arrested as of Monday, 27 July, in connection with the violence at the anti-NEET protest rally held in Kolkata on 24 July. Fourteen were arrested between Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon, and two more were detained on Monday morning.
Who are the two latest persons arrested in the Kolkata protest violence case?
The two individuals arrested on Monday are Waqar Azam, 35, a resident of Karaya Area in Park Circus, South-East Kolkata, and Zaved Akhtar, 32, from the Garden Reach area. Both are to be produced before a lower court in Kolkata on the same day.
What law will the accused face in the Kolkata NEET protest case?
All those arrested will be tried under the West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti-Social Activities Act, 2026, a newly enacted law that provides for stricter measures against violent and anti-social activities. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced this last week.
What triggered the violence at the Kolkata NEET protest on 24 July?
The rally on 24 July was organised by the Cockroach Janata Party and student and youth groups to protest the NEET examination paper leak and other exam irregularities. A section of the crowd allegedly turned violent, hurling glass bottles, stones, bricks, bamboo sticks, and shoes at police personnel and journalists, some of whom were hospitalised.
Were any students among those arrested in the Kolkata protest violence case?
According to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, none of the 14 persons arrested up to Sunday were students. He alleged that those identified through CCTV footage were individuals who had infiltrated the protest posing as student activists, though these claims have not been independently verified.
