New Delhi, Sept. 2 -- The Supreme Court on Tuesday quashed first information reports registered across India in connection with Cockroach Janata Party-led protests in July, invoking its extraordinary powers under Article 142 of the Constitution and prompting the group to scrap a proposed September 5 stir at India Gate. A bench, comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, said the decision was aimed at ensuring that the criminal cases did not cause "any harm to students or youths who participated in these protests" and that mere participation in a protest would not be treated as an offence under penal laws. The court ordered that all FIRs relating to the protests between July 20 and 25 in the states and UTs, including those not formally brought before it, would not be pursued or investigated and would be treated as closed for all purposes. It also directed that similar FIRs pending in other states and Union territories be treated in the same manner. "No further FIR shall be registered in relation to the same incident," the court directed. The order followed applications filed by the Centre through Delhi Police and by Maharashtra, Assam, Bihar and West Bengal seeking quashing of the criminal cases. The Centre told the court that the government was committed to honouring three assurances given after a July 25 meeting with representatives of the protesting group -- withdrawal of FIRs registered between July 20 and 25, no fresh FIRs relating to those incidents and compensation to families of NEET aspirants and students who died by suicide. Solicitor general Tushar Mehta said the government was committed to all three assurances, but sought liberty to proceed against persons with "serious and grave criminal antecedents". The court agreed to carve out an exception for 2,837 persons whom Delhi Police said had such antecedents and were prima facie present at the protest site. The police had sought permission to register one FIR against them to ascertain their individual roles, if any, in incidents involving bodily harm or destruction of public property....