The Supreme Court on Thursday constituted a five-member committee to conduct a fact-finding inquiry into allegations of police excesses during protests by members of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).
The committee will be headed by retired Supreme Court Justice R Subhash Reddy. Former Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Ravi Shankar Jha, former Delhi High Court judge Shalinder Kaur, former CBI Director Rishi Kumar Shukla and former Meghalaya DGP LR Bishnoi are the other members.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, passed the order.
Women protestors’ complaints to get priority
The court said the panel will examine allegations of police excesses as well as violence by protestors. It has been specifically asked to give priority to complaints involving sexual assault and online harassment of women protestors.
The committee will also look into allegations of grievous injuries suffered by protestors during police action and cases involving the alleged victimisation of vulnerable persons through social media.
The court directed authorities to preserve CCTV footage, drone recordings, body-camera footage and PCR call records linked to the protests.
It also ordered the release of detained minors, except those facing grave and heinous charges. The personal data of protestors is to be protected and cannot be publicly disclosed.
Police action, protestor violence both under scrutiny
The committee has been asked to examine allegations against both the police and protestors. The court also made clear that departmental action against police personnel can be initiated independently of the committee's findings.
The broader constitutional questions surrounding the protests will be considered separately by the court at a later stage.
The petitions before the Supreme Court concern demonstrations at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, Bihar and other parts of the country over alleged leaks of NEET and other examination papers. Petitioners sought pan-India guidelines to ensure that peaceful protests are allowed.
Protests escalated in July
The CJP protests began in June following a call by the online collective over repeated allegations of question paper leaks. Protestors demanded the resignation of then Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The demonstrations intensified after climate activist Sonam Wangchuk joined the protest and began a hunger strike. He was later removed from the protest site and taken to a hospital by Delhi Police, citing his deteriorating health.
During the July 20 "Sansad Chalo" march, Delhi Police and the Rapid Action Force used baton charges and tear gas, while pellet guns were also used, according to the petitions.
Similar demonstrations were reported in Bihar, where police action also drew criticism. The protests were eventually called off after Pradhan resigned as minister on July 25.
The Supreme Court's committee will now examine the allegations and preserve evidence relating to the protests.