New Delhi: The Supreme Court has constituted a five-member high-powered committee headed by former Chief Justice of India R Subhash Reddy to probe allegations of police excesses against student protesters during the recent NEET agitation in Delhi, as well as violence against police and security personnel.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant and comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana said the committee would examine allegations of excessive force, including the use of pellet guns, against protesters, besides allegations of violence by protesters against police officials and other security personnel.
The committee will also comprise 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 DGP L R Bishnoi.
The court said the committee had been constituted after considering the expertise, experience and diversity of its members and expressed confidence that its findings would assist the court in assessing the issues arising from the protests.
The Supreme Court clarified that the inquiry would not be a one-time exercise. The committee has been directed to undertake continuous and periodic assessments and submit interim findings.
The court asked the panel to give priority to allegations of targeted violence, harassment and molestation of female protesters. It may also examine the possibility of granting interim compensation to those injured on either side, including protesters and police personnel.
The committee has also been asked to assess damage to public property during the protests, including government installations, vehicles and private property.
The court said injuries suffered by police personnel while on duty and the mental and emotional trauma experienced by their families should receive due consideration alongside the grievances raised by protesters.
The court has allowed all parties to submit relevant material, documentary evidence and suggestions to the committee. Complainants and witnesses may also submit material anonymously to protect their identities.
The bench appointed advocates Ashima Mandla, Daksh Kadian and Astha Singh as nodal officers to facilitate communication between the parties.
It also directed the police, paramilitary forces and investigating agencies to preserve all CCTV and drone footage, body-worn camera recordings, videography, wireless communication records and PCR call logs related to the protests. The material is to be furnished to the committee, and the agencies have been directed to extend full cooperation.
The court made it clear that the constitution of the committee would not prevent police or security forces from taking administrative or disciplinary action against officers found to have violated service rules.
The Union government has been directed to provide the committee with the necessary logistical and secretarial support and to determine the honorarium and facilities for its members. The court asked the panel to submit its first interim report at the earliest.
The order came on a batch of petitions alleging police excesses against student protesters during the agitation led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), along with allegations of violence against police personnel.
A CJP-led march to Parliament on July 20 witnessed clashes between protesters and security personnel, who used lathis and tear gas to disperse demonstrators attempting to move towards Parliament.
The student-led agitation, which began at Jantar Mantar on June 20 and spread to several cities, centred on a demand for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to resign. The protests ended on July 25 after Pradhan resigned and the government accepted the CJP’s other demands.
