CJI says women protestors can file sexual assault complaints against police, with panel probing NEET protest violence
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant has announced that women protestors can file sexual assault complaints against police directly with a judicial officer appointed to a high-powered committee. This committee was established to investigate allegations of police violence during the NEET-UG protests.
Why it matters
The move provides a specialized legal channel for addressing allegations of police misconduct and protecting the rights of protestors.
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Monday (August 24, 2026) assured that women protestors can directly approach the nodal officer of the High Powered Enquiry Committee (HPEC) with complaints of sexual molestation against police personnel during the crackdown on NEET-UG protests on July 20.
The nodal officer of the HPEC would be a judicial officer.
The court’s explanation came in response to an oral mentioning made by senior advocate Shobha Gupta.
Ms. Gupta said there should be separate, sensitive mechanism for women protestors to file their complaints and seek legal action against police personnel.
Chief Justice Kant said an HPEC has already been formed, and a direction has been given to take complaints involving police abuse priority attention.
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