New Delhi: The Supreme Court has constituted a five-member High-Powered Enquiry Committee (HPEC) to independently investigate allegations of violence and excessive use of force during student protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar and in other parts of the country.
A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana ordered the formation of the panel while hearing a batch of petitions related to the protests.
The committee will be headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice R Subhash Reddy and will examine allegations against both law enforcement agencies and protesters during the demonstrations.
The five-member committee includes:
Justice R Subhash Reddy – Former Supreme Court judge and chairperson
Justice Ravi Shankar Jha – Former Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court
Justice Shalinder Kaur – Former Delhi High Court judge
Rishi Kumar Shukla – Former CBI Director
Dr LR Bishnoi – Retired Meghalaya Director General of Police
The HPEC has been tasked with examining the circumstances surrounding the clashes and submitting an interim report on its initial findings at the earliest.
Its terms of reference include investigating:
Police action: Whether the use of force, including lathi charges, tear gas, electric batons and alleged use of pellet guns, was proportionate.
Safety of women protesters: Allegations of molestation, sexual assault and online harassment targeting female demonstrators.
Violence against security personnel: Incidents involving attacks on police and other security personnel, along with injuries reported during the clashes.
Surveillance and medical assistance: Allegations of unlawful surveillance and social-media targeting, as well as the availability of medical treatment and compensation for those affected.
The Supreme Court's intervention comes amid student demonstrations at Jantar Mantar and in several states, including Bihar, over alleged paper leaks and irregularities in competitive examinations such as NEET.
The protests reportedly included hunger strikes and marches towards Parliament before tensions escalated into clashes with security forces.
Several petitions before the Supreme Court sought an independent probe, compensation for those injured or affected, and accountability for alleged excesses by law enforcement agencies.
The newly constituted committee is expected to examine the allegations from both sides and provide the court with an independent assessment of what led to the violence and whether established procedures were followed during crowd control operations.