In a significant development, the Supreme Court of India has constituted a five-member High-Powered Enquiry Committee (HPEC) to independently investigate allegations of violence and police excesses during recent student demonstrations. These protests were reportedly sparked by alleged examination paper leaks across the country.
The committee is headed by former top court judge Justice (Retd.) R. Subhash Reddy. Its mandate includes examining both the alleged excessive use of force by police and paramilitary forces, as well as claims of violence perpetrated by protesters against security personnel and public property.
Other distinguished members of the panel include 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. LR Bishnoi. The bench forming the panel comprised Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V. Mohana.
The HPEC is specifically tasked with investigating the deployment of pellet guns, electric batons, lathi charges, and tear gas by security forces. Crucially, the Supreme Court has directed the committee to prioritize allegations of targeted violence, harassment, and sexual molestation of female protesters, requesting an interim report on these sensitive matters at the earliest.
Beyond the immediate incidents, the committee will also evaluate the necessity of banning metallic kinetic projectiles, assess whether security personnel adhered to regulations by wearing visible nameplates and proper uniforms during crowd control operations, and examine issues related to police surveillance and potential privacy violations.
The court clarified that this inquiry will not be a singular event but a continuous and periodic assessment, with findings to be submitted regularly. Furthermore, the bench indicated it might consider exercising its extraordinary powers under Article 142 of the Constitution to quash FIRs registered against young student protesters, emphasizing its concern for the “life and future of innocent students.” The next hearing in this matter is scheduled for September 10.