MUMBAI, Aug. 4 -- The state home department has instructed the commissioner of police in cities where students protested against the NEET-UG paper leaks, to expedite the withdrawal of cases against them and not summon them to police stations for further investigation, a top officer from the home department said. This, the officer said, would help those student protesters who need to process their visa or speed up admission processes for higher studies which may be affected by the pending cases against them. In an order issued on Friday, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis who also helms the state home department, directed the director general of police (DGP) Sadanand Date to ensure that no penal or legal action is taken against the young protesters. The order follows Fadnavis's direction to the home department on Tuesday to begin the process of withdrawing cases against the students. "As cases can only be withdrawn after charge sheets are filed -- the time limit of which is between 90 and 120 days -- we have directed police to file them early," said an officer from the home department. "This will enable the police to withdraw the cases within a few weeks, unlike other political or social cases, which often take months to be withdrawn." Another officer said these cases will be taken up on priority. Unlike routine social or political cases withdrawn through government approval, police will likely refer these to district- or city-level committees, bypassing the state-level committee led by information and technology minister Ashish Shelar. "Once the process is completed at the district or city level, the courts where the cases are pending will be requested to permit their withdrawal," the officer said. The cases did not involve any violence or loss of life; most cases were minor and related to violations of prohibitory orders; hence, the investigation and filing of charge sheets are unlikely to take much time, the officer added....