# SC forms panel to probe police action at July 20 protest 2026-08-19T21:45:42+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 4 independent outlets The Supreme Court has set up a five-member high-powered expert committee headed by former judge Justice R Subhash Reddy to investigate allegations of excessive force by police and security forces during student protests at Jantar Mantar on July 20. The panel will examine the use of pellet guns, electric batons, lathi-charge, tear gas, surveillance, and violence against women protesters. It will also look into attacks on police and damage to property. The committee includes former CBI director Rishi Kumar Shukla and retired Meghalaya DGP Dr L R Bishnoi. The Delhi Police, in a counter affidavit filed before the court, denied using excessive force and said the protest was illegal as no permission was granted. It claimed protesters breached barricades and a crowd of over 30,000 turned unruly, forcing police to deploy about 5,000 personnel in graded response. The police stated that over 240 personnel were injured and about 200 protesters also suffered injuries. It dismissed allegations based on selective photos and video clips, and said lathis are permissible gear. The committee has been directed to submit a report focusing first on violence against women, serious injuries, and accountability. Authorities must provide CCTV, drone, body-camera footage, and wireless logs. The panel can receive confidential complaints from victims and witnesses. Its findings are expected to provide an independent assessment of the July 20 events. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The coverage splits sharply: thefederal.com gives almost exclusive space to the Delhi Police affidavit, presenting the government's version of events without critical framing, while news.abplive.com and newindianexpress.com lead with the Supreme Court panel and its mandate to investigate police excesses, implicitly questioning the official account. IndiaTVnews.com offers a brief neutral report on the committee formation. The pro-government framing overstates the protest's illegality and downplays allegations of excessive force, the critical framing emphasises the need for independent inquiry over police self-defence. A careful reader should note that the committee will examine both sides, including attacks on police, so neither narrative is complete until the report is out. The panel's first report on women and serious injuries is due soon. ## Coverage Coverage: 4 sources, 1 pro-government, 1 government-critical, 2 neutral - thefederal.com (pro government) Leads with and amplifies Delhi Police affidavit, minimal mention of allegations - news.abplive.com (government critical) - indiatvnews.com (neutral report) Brief factual report on committee formation, no framing of police or protesters - newindianexpress.com (neutral report) Detailed but neutral report on committee mandate and court order This story was synthesised by AI from the 4 sources linked above. Updated: this story now draws on 4 sources. Last updated 2026-08-20T12:26:39+00:00. Tags: Delhi Police, July 20, Parliament march, Sachin Sharma, Supreme Court Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/delhi-police-denies-excessive-force-in-july-20-march/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/delhi-police-denies-excessive-force-in-july-20-march/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/