NEET Protests Probe: Supreme Court Sets Up Five-Member Panel

The Supreme Court on Thursday constituted a five-member High-Powered Expert Committee to investigate allegations of excessive and disproportionate use of force by police, paramilitary forces and other security personnel during protests over the NEET paper leak. The panel will examine incidents involving protesters at Jantar Mantar in Delhi and other parts of the country. The court has also asked the committee to look into allegations of harassment and molestation, particularly those involving women protesters, along with complaints of serious injuries sustained during police action.

The committee will be headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice R Subhash Reddy. Its 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 DGP L R Bishnoi. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana said the panel was constituted after considering the expertise, experience and diversity of its members. The court expressed confidence that its recommendations would assist in assessing the issues surrounding the protests and the police response.

The Supreme Court has directed the committee to conduct a continuing and periodic assessment rather than treating the inquiry as a one-time exercise. It will examine allegations concerning the use of pellet guns, electric batons, lathis and tear gas against protesters. The panel will also consider whether the use of metallic pellets fired from pump-action rifles or other weapons should be restricted or banned, particularly because of the severe and potentially permanent injuries such weapons can cause. The inquiry will also assess how authorities can maintain public order while protecting the constitutional right to peaceful protest.

Also Read: Supreme Court Warns Malls, Hotels Could Lose Power, Water Over Waste Rule Violations

The court has further directed authorities to preserve CCTV recordings, drone footage, body-camera recordings and PCR call records connected with the protests. The preservation of these materials is intended to protect crucial evidence and allow the committee to establish the sequence of events independently. The panel will also examine allegations of police surveillance and monitoring of protesters. Another issue before it will be whether police and security personnel should be required to wear identifiable uniforms and clear nameplates during arrests and crowd-control operations to improve accountability.

Allegations of harassment and molestation, particularly those made by female protesters, have been given priority in the court's directions. The inquiry will also examine complaints relating to serious injuries allegedly suffered during police action. The court reiterated its earlier direction concerning detained minors and ordered their release, except where they are facing charges involving serious and heinous offences. It also emphasised that the personal information of protesters must be protected and directed authorities not to make their private data public.

The protests followed a call by the Cockroach Janta Party for a march towards Parliament on July 20, the opening day of the Monsoon Session, with protesters demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged NEET paper leak. Police used tear gas and batons to disperse the protesters, leading to clashes and detentions. The Supreme Court's decision to establish the committee is expected to provide a structured examination of the allegations, while also allowing competent authorities to take departmental action against police personnel independently of the panel's findings.

Also Read: SC Bar Chief Pradeep Rai Calls CJI Kant A Fatherly Figure, Says Lawyers Can Approach Him