Supreme Court forms High-Powered Enquiry Committee to investigate violence during student protests
The Supreme Court of India has established a high-powered committee to investigate allegations of police brutality during recent student protests, including the use of excessive force like pellet guns. The committee, led by a retired Supreme Court judge, will examine the balance between maintaining public order and protecting the constitutional right to peaceful dissent.
Why it matters
This intervention addresses critical concerns regarding human rights, police accountability, and the legal limits of state force during civil unrest.
The Supreme Court on Thursday (August 20, 2026) ordered the formation of a high-powered enquiry committee (HPEC) to examine issues, including police violence, NEET-UG protests across the country.
The committee will be headed by Justice (Retd.) R. Subhash Reddy, former judge of the Supreme Court of India. Other members include, Justice Ravi Shankar Jha, former Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court, Justice Shalinder Kaur, former Judge of the Delhi High Court, Rishi Kumar Shukla, former Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation and Dr. L.R. Bishnoi, retired Director General of Police, Meghalaya.
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