- SC forms five-member committee to probe police excesses.
- Headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice R Subhash Reddy.
- Committee to examine use of force, violence against protesters.
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 examine allegations of excessive use of force by police, paramilitary forces and other security personnel against protesters in the last month.
Who Are The Other Members Of Prob Committee?
The 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 LR Bishnoi.
Excessive Use Of Pellet Guns, Electric Batons, Lathi Charges And Tear gas To Be Probed
The committee will examine allegations including excessive use of pellet guns, electric batons, lathi charges and tear gas, alleged violence against women protesters, police surveillance, the proportionality of crowd-control measures and the provision of medical assistance and compensation to victims. It will also consider allegations raised by the authorities concerning violence against police personnel and damage to public property.
RJD MP Moves SC Against Use Of 'Excessive Police Force' On Students
Earlier on July 27, Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Kumar Jha approached the Supreme Court seeking registration of FIRs over the alleged use of excessive police force against students protesting against NEET paper leaks. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana agreed to list the matter after the plea for urgent listing was mentioned by advocate Fauzia Shakil.
"We have filed a writ petition with comprehensive information, including Bihar firing," Shakil said, adding that police in Bihar allegedly used AK-47 on the protesters.
The bench said all the petitions alleging excessive use of police force against students participating in protests across the country over the issue of examination paper leaks will be heard.
Three protesters were injured after the police in Bihar's Siwan district opened fire on demonstrators as the 'Bihar bandh', called by the All India Students' Association (AISA) to protest the NEET paper leak, turned violent in several parts of the state. In his petition, Jha has prayed for a direction to the states and Union Territories (UTs) to register FIRs on allegations of police brutality and disproportionate police action against peaceful protesters between July 20 and July 25 in different parts of the country, especially on July 20 at Delhi's Jantar Mantar. He has sought a probe by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in the respective states and UTs by a team comprising the director general of police (DGP) and two senior women IPS officers not below the rank of inspector general of police (IGP).
The petition comes in the wake of the protest by students and organisations led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) here at Jantar Mantar demanding, among other things, reforms in the education system and resignation of then education minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The CJP called off the protest on July 25 after Pradhan resigned and the government accepted other demands of the newly formed organisation.
(With Agencies Inputs)