NEET-UG protests: SC refuses change in HPEC; says enquiry on pellet guns, excesses must come first
The Supreme Court of India has refused to reconstitute the High-Powered Enquiry Committee (HPEC) tasked with investigating police conduct during NEET-UG protests. The court dismissed petitioners' concerns regarding potential bias as premature and based on conjecture.
Why it matters
This decision reinforces the judicial process's independence and sets a precedent for how the court handles challenges to its own appointed investigative bodies.
The Supreme Court has expressed “disquiet” at petitioners’ aspersions of ‘conflict of interest’ within its High-Powered Enquiry Committee (HPEC) formed to probe into the police crackdown on Cockroach Janta Party protests on July 20.
Refusing to re-constitute the HPEC, a three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant criticised the petitioners, who include students, of indulging in “conjecture and preconceived notions”.
On August 20, the court had tasked the HPEC headed by former apex court judge, Justice R. Subhash Reddy, to look into issues and allegations, including that of police excesses on students during nationwide protests against NEET-UG paper leaks.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in