Supreme Court Forms Five-Member Panel to Examine Police Action at Jantar Mantar Student Protest
The high-powered enquiry committee, headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice R. Subhash Reddy, will investigate allegations of excessive force including pellet guns during the July 20 protests over NEET-UG.
New Delhi1 min read
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The Supreme Court has constituted a five-member high-powered enquiry committee to investigate allegations of police excesses during student protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on July 20 over the NEET-UG paper leak controversy.
Former apex court judge Justice R. Subhash Reddy will head the panel. Other members 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.
The court directed the panel to examine claims of excessive force, including the use of pellet guns, electric batons, lathi charges and tear gas without adequate warning. Allegations of targeted violence, harassment and molestation of female protesters are to be taken up on priority.
Authorities must supply the committee with CCTV footage, drone recordings, body-camera footage and wireless communication logs related to the incident. The inquiry is not to be a one-time exercise.
Petitioners had sought a ban on metallic kinetic projectiles fired from pump-action rifles during civilian gatherings and called for visible nameplates on security personnel to ensure accountability.
The protests stemmed from nationwide demonstrations against alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG examination. Clashes left several protesters and police personnel injured.
