SC forms five-member committee to probe violence during NEET-UG student protests

The court noted the petitioners’ submissions that alleged incidents of targeted violence, harassment, molestation against female protestors, warrant a focused and expeditious enquiry

The Supreme Court has constituted a high-powered enquiry committee (HPEC) headed by former apex court judge, Justice R. Subhash Reddy, to probe all issues and allegations, including that of police excesses on students during nationwide protests against NEET-UG paper leaks.Beside Justice Reddy, the committee would include Justice Ravi Shankar Jha, former Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court; Justice Shalinder Kaur, former Judge of the Delhi High Court; Rishi Kumar Shukla, former Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation; and LRBishnoi, retired Director General of Police, Meghalaya.The order by a three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant said the enquiry undertaken by the HPEC should not be a “one-time exercise”.“Rather, the committee shall undertake a continuous and periodic assessment of the issues enumerated in the order and shall submit its interim findings periodically so as to enable this court to take appropriate measures and issue such directions as may be warranted,” the court, dated August 19 but released on Thursday, directed.priority basisThe court suggested the HPEC take up, on a priority basis, allegations of targeted violence, harassment, and molestation of female protestors. Similarly, the HPEC was urged to assess the grievous harm and injury allegedly caused to protestors by police authorities and security personnel.The court further clarified that the constitution of the HPEC “shall in no way deter or debar the police authorities or other security forces from taking administrative or disciplinary action against such of their officers as may be found to be in contravention of the rules governing their conduct”.Rather than filtering the allegations and issues raised by the petitioners, the court listed each one them in its order for the benefit of the HPEC.These include the “use of excessive force and violence against protestors by police authorities and other agencies, including the deployment of pellet guns, electric batons, lathi charges, and tear gas without adequate warning or proportionality, resulting in severe bodily harm and injuries, some of which are alleged to be of a grievous and lasting nature”.The petitioners had also raised the question of what would be a “proportionate and measured police response” during protests, public gatherings, and peaceful assemblies. Clarifying this issue would help strike a balance between the maintenance of public order and the constitutional right to peaceful dissent.The court pointed out to the HPEC that petitioners had sought a ban of metallic kinetic projectiles or pellets fired from pump-action rifles or projectile-action guns.Further, the court brought to the attention of the HPEC the demand of the petitioners to ensure that police and security personnel wear proper uniforms and visible nameplates at the time of effecting arrests or using force during crowd-control operations, so as to secure accountability and enable the identification of individual officers.“The petitioners had also raised the need for an enquiry into the allegations pertaining to the monitoring and surveillance of protestors by police personnel, and the extent to which such measures, if undertaken, were consistent with the protestors’ constitutional rights to privacy and free assembly,” the order recorded.The court noted the petitioners’ submissions that alleged incidents of targeted violence, harassment, molestation against female protestors, warrant a focused and expeditious enquiry. Equally important, the court highlighted to the HPEC, was a provision for medical support and compensation to victims of alleged police abuse.Similarly, the court has listed issues raised by respondents, including the families of injured police officers. These include the alleged use of force and violence by protestors against police officials and other security personnel The damage caused to public property on account of the actions of the protestors and destruction of vehicles, and other assets belonging to the State and private citizens alike.Published on August 20, 2026