The Supreme Court of India has constituted a High‑Powered Committee (HPC) headed by former SC judge Justice R Subhash Reddy to probe allegations of police excesses and violence during last month’s student protests against the NEET paper leak at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.
The five‑member panel includes Justice Ravi Shankar Jha (former Punjab & Haryana HC Chief Justice), Justice Shalinder Kaur (former Delhi HC judge), Rishi Kumar Shukla (former CBI Director), and LR Bishnoi (former Meghalaya DGP). The Court said the committee was chosen for its expertise, experience, and diversity, and will conduct continuous assessments with interim reports to guide judicial directions.
The HPC will prioritise complaints of targeted violence, harassment, and molestation of female protesters, and examine allegations of grievous injuries caused by police and paramilitary forces. Specific issues under scrutiny include the use of pellet guns, electric batons, lathi charges, and tear gas, as well as whether force was used lawfully and proportionately.
The committee will also probe whether police personnel wore proper uniforms and nameplates, assess surveillance measures against protesters in light of privacy rights, and consider interim compensation for both injured protesters and police personnel.
