Supreme Court forms five-member panel to investigate violence during student protest across country

New Delhi, August 20
The Supreme Court has constituted a five-member High-Powered Enquiry Committee headed by former top court judge Justice R Subhash Reddy (HPEC) to independently examine allegations of violence during the student demonstrations held at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi and other locations across the country last month.

The Committee has been asked to examine both the allegations of excessive and disproportionate use of force by police and paramilitary forces against protesters, as well as the alleged use of violence by protesters against security personnel and injuries sustained by them.

The other members of HPEC are former Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Ravi Shankar Jha, former Delhi High Court judge Justice Shalinder Kaur, former CBI Director Rishi Kumar Shukla and retired Meghalaya Director General of Police Dr. L.R. Bishnoi.

A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V Mohana passed the order while hearing a batch of writ petitions concerning the nationwide demonstrations.

The HPEC has been directed to deliver an interim report on its initial findings at the earliest. The top court clarified that as a matter of abundant caution, the enquiry undertaken by the HPEC shall not be a one-time exercise. It asked the Committee to undertake a continuous and periodic assessment of the issues and shall submit its interim findings periodically.

The Apex Court recommended that the High-Powered Enquiry Committee should address certain issues on a priority basis, foremost amongst which is the matter relating to the alleged incidents of targeted violence, harassment and molestation of female protesters.

The court was hearing a batch of writ petitions concerning the violence during the student protests over alleged examination paper leaks.