# Supreme Court refuses to reconstitute panel on student protest violence 2026-09-16T06:17:29+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 6 independent outlets The Supreme Court has refused to reconstitute the High-Powered Enquiry Committee probing the July 20 police crackdown on student protests in Delhi, calling objections against its members "conjecture and preconceived notions". A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant said the panel, headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice R Subhash Reddy, was constituted with the "highest standards of fairness and transparency" and was not created to take either side. The court directed the committee to proceed with examining the use of pellet guns, targeted violence, harassment of female protesters, and destruction of property by both sides. The court also ordered the Delhi Police to assess threats to a 14-year-old female protester and provide protection. It appointed senior advocate Monika Gusain and advocate C Solomon as amici curiae. The committee has been asked to protect vulnerable witnesses, keep their identities confidential, and create a separate online portal for evidence submission. The next hearing is on October 9, 2026. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The Supreme Court's sharp language, calling the petitioners' objections 'conjecture and preconceived notions', signals judicial displeasure at attempts to question a panel it constituted. LiveLaw and The Hindu foreground the court's rebuke of the petitioners, while ABP Live and the PTI-sourced pieces in Hindustan Times and Times of India lead with the court's refusal to reconstitute, softening the criticism. The core event is procedural: the panel continues its work. The October 9, 2026 hearing will test whether the HPEC's findings satisfy both sides, and whether the broader questions, including the use of facial recognition, are taken up then. ## Coverage - livelaw.in (neutral report) Led with court observation of 'conjecture and preconceived notions', full quote of court rebuke - thehindu.com (neutral report) Foregrounded petitioners' argument that panel should 'inspire confidence', downplayed court rebuke - hindustantimes.com (neutral report) Straight PTI-sourced report, led with court's refusal, no framing of petitioners - timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report) Straight report, opened with court's refusal and quoted court's 'conjecture' line without additional context - news.abplive.com (neutral report) Foregrounded Bhushan's conflict-of-interest argument, neutral summary of court ruling - economictimes.indiatimes.com (neutral report) PTI-sourced report, opened with court's refusal, quoted 'conjecture' line, included background on protests Tags: Delhi Police, NEET-UG, R Subhash Reddy, Supreme Court of India, Surya Kant Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/supreme-court-refuses-to-re-constitute-student-protest-probe-panel/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/supreme-court-refuses-to-re-constitute-student-protest-probe-panel/#story-in-brief