The Supreme Court has set up a High-Powered Committee (HPC) headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice R Subhash Reddy to investigate allegations of violence and police excesses during last month’s student protests.

The committee will examine the conduct of both sides, including claims of excessive force by the police and allegations of violence by protesters, and determine whether the action taken by authorities was justified, lawful and proportionate.

It maybe recollected that the case before the Supreme Court following concerns of violence and police excesses during student protests held last month. The proceedings have brought into focus questions over the conduct of both protesters and law-enforcement authorities, including whether the force used by the police was necessary and proportionate to the situation.

Against this backdrop, the court directed that a High-Powered Committee be constituted to independently examine the events, assess the competing allegations and provide periodic findings to assist the court in deciding whether further intervention or directions are required.

The five-member panel includes 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 former Meghalaya DGP LR Bishnoi. The court said the members were selected based on their professional expertise, experience and diverse backgrounds, and expressed hope that the panel’s findings would help it assess the matter in a comprehensive manner.

The court has also given the committee a continuing mandate rather than limiting its role to a single inquiry. The HPC will periodically review developments, submit interim reports to the Supreme Court and flag issues requiring immediate intervention.

The arrangement allows the court to consider further directions or corrective measures as the situation evolves, while ensuring that allegations of misconduct by both protesters and law-enforcement agencies are examined.

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