Supreme Court forms panel to examine use of force by police in Delhi's July 20 protest

On Thursday, the Supreme Court formed a five-member committee headed by former judge R Subhash Reddy to investigate allegations of violence during the July 20 student protests in Delhi. The committee will examine a range of issues, including the use of pellet guns, mandatory uniforms for law enforcement, prohibitory orders, police surveillance, and whether a BNS provision is stifling dissent.

The committee, comprising justice (retired) R Subhash Reddy as chairperson, retired judges Ravi Shankar Jha and Shalinder Kaur, former CBI director Rishi Kumar Shukla, and former Meghalaya DGP LR Bishnoi, was tasked with looking into the legality of police actions during the protests. The committee will examine whether the use of pellet guns, electric batons, lathi charges, and tear gas was excessive and disproportionate, causing grievous injuries to protesters.

Additionally, the committee will consider whether police and security personnel should wear proper uniforms and visible nameplates during crowd-control operations to ensure accountability. It will also investigate allegations of targeted violence, harassment, molestation, and secondary victimization of women protesters. Furthermore, the panel will examine the use of blanket prohibitory orders and the invocation of a provision in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which criminalizes acts endangering India's sovereignty, unity, and integrity, and whether these provisions are being used to stifle political dissent.

The Supreme Court emphasized that the inquiry would be impartial and would consider alleged violence by protesters against police and security personnel, damage to public property, and injuries suffered by police personnel and their families.