Now Reading: Supreme Court sets up panel to probe Jantar Mantar police action
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Supreme Court sets up panel to probe Jantar Mantar police action
The Supreme Court on Thursday formed a five-member High-Powered Enquiry Committee (HPEC) to investigate the July 20 clashes between police and student protesters at Jantar Mantar in Delhi during the Competition for Jobs (CJP) protest against the NEET paper leak. The committee will be headed by former Supreme Court judge R. Subhash Reddy and includes former CBI director Rishi Kumar Shukla, retired judges, and a former DGP.
Businesstoday.in reports that the court tasked the panel with probing allegations of excessive force by police, including the use of pellet guns and tear gas, as well as claims of violence by protesters. The Times of India adds that the panel will also examine the chain of command in the police and investigate incidents of targeted harassment and molestation of female protesters, with an interim report sought urgently. The court has asked the committee to assess whether metallic kinetic projectiles like pellet guns should be banned.
The Supreme Court indicated it may use its extraordinary powers under Article 142 to quash FIRs against student protesters, saying the matter concerns their future. The HPEC has an open tenure and will submit periodic findings. The next hearing is on September 10.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Both sources report the same core facts neutrally, but with different emphases. Businesstoday.in leads with the formation of the panel and its focus on police action, while the Times of India front-loads the panel's composition and expands on the constitutional questions around sedition and Section 152 of the BNS. The Times of India also provides more detail on the chain-of-command inquiry and the police's claim that criminal elements infiltrated the protest. A careful reader should note that while both reports are straight news, the Times of India gives more space to the government and police perspective, including their counter-allegations of vandalism, whereas Businesstoday.in leans slightly more into the rights and student welfare angle. The key development to watch is the HPEC's interim report on female protesters and police use of force.
Words: 138
Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral
Sources (2): businesstoday.in (neutral report), timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above. Methodology and corrections.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
