Arya News - The Justice R. Subhash Reddy-led committee has been tasked with examining allegations including excessive use of pellet guns, electric batons, lathi charges and tear gas.
NEW DELHI – The Supreme Court on Thursday constituted a five-member High-Powered Enquiry Committee (HPEC), headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice R. Subhash Reddy, to look into the allegations of police and paramilitary excesses on students during the last month’s Cockroach Janta Party-led protest at Jantar Mantar.
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 are the other four members of the committee.
The Justice R. Subhash Reddy-led committee has been tasked with examining allegations including excessive use of pellet guns, electric batons, lathi charges and tear gas.
It will also look into the alleged violence against women protesters, police surveillance, the proportionality of crowd-control measures and the provision of medical assistance and compensation to victims.
Moreover, the committee will also consider allegations raised by the authorities concerning violence against police personnel and damage to public property during the protest.
Earlier on Tuesday, hearing a batch of pleas seeking a court-monitored investigation into the alleged police brutality, a Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Justice Surya Kant and also comprising Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana had made the announcement regarding the formation of the committee.
The court said that the committee will also examine the allegations concerning sexual assault and online harassment of female protestors and victimisation of other vulnerable persons through social media.
During the Jantar Mantar protest, a purported video that went viral on social media showed a policeman allegedly shoving a stick into a female protestor’s buttocks, triggering massive outrage.
The alleged use of pellet guns had also sparked nationwide outrage over the disproportionate use of force by the police.
The CJP, which spearheaded the protest had demanded action against the personnel who floated laid out norms and allegedly unleased brute force against the protestors.