Supreme Court Refuses To Reconstitute Committee Probing Student Protest Violence, Says Allegations Are Mere Conjectures

The Supreme Court has refused to reconstitute the High-Powered Enquiry Committee (HPEC) constituted to probe allegations surrounding violence during student protests, observing that the allegations against the panel were based on “conjecture and preconceived notions” even before it had commenced its enquiry.A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana refused to entertain the applications filed by some of the petitioners, raising reservations about the members of the committee.During the hearing on September 10, Advocate Prashant Bhushan, backed by Senior Advocates Gopal Sankaranarayanan and Dr AM Singhvi, had raised doubts about the committee, especially one member, a retired DGP from a north-eastern state, on the ground that he was proximate to a high functionary in the Union Government. On that day itself, the Court had made it clear that it will not entertain such contentions.