Supreme Court appointed panel schedules hearings to examine Jantar Mantar protest violence

NEW DELHI — The Supreme Court-appointed High Powered Enquiry Committee (HPEC), investigating the violence during the July protests at Jantar Mantar, will conduct a two-day sitting in New Delhi on October 29 and 30 to hear affected individuals and record evidence.

The sessions will take place from 11 am onwards at the panel’s office located at Shiksha Sadan in the Rouse Avenue Institutional Area, officials stated on Saturday. Members of the public and those impacted by the clashes can submit complaints, representations, or present evidence between 11.30 am and 3 pm on both days, provided they carry valid identity documentation.

The five-member committee was established by the apex court while hearing petitions alleging police excesses against student demonstrators, alongside counter-allegations of violence targeting police personnel. Chaired by retired Supreme Court judge Justice R Subhash Reddy, the panel includes former Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Ravi Shankar Jha, former Delhi High Court judge Justice Shalinder Kaur, former Central Bureau of Investigation director Rishi Kumar Shukla, and retired Meghalaya Director General of Police L R Bishnoi.

The inquiry will specifically examine allegations regarding the use of pellet guns, targeted violence, the harassment of female protesters, instances of excessive force, and property damage on both sides, according to officials.

To encourage participation and protect vulnerable witnesses, the committee has launched a dedicated online portal at hpec.nic.in. Stakeholders, witnesses, and affected individuals can use the platform to access prescribed formats and upload statements, representations, and supporting documents. A public notice issued previously noted that the portal was developed under Supreme Court directions to safeguard vulnerable witnesses by keeping their identities confidential and maintaining strict secrecy regarding submitted statements and evidence.

The unrest stemmed from a July 20 march toward Parliament led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which resulted in violent clashes with security personnel. Police deployed tear gas shells and baton charges to disperse the crowd, and several students were subsequently hospitalised with injuries linked to the possible use of pellet guns.

The student agitation began at Jantar Mantar on June 20, subsequently expanding to multiple cities, before being called off on July 25 following the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.