The Supreme Court, in a major move on Thursday, has constituted a five-member High-powered Enquiry Committee (HPEC), headed by former judge of the top court, R. Subhash Reddy, to probe allegations of excessive use of force by police, paramilitary force personnel and other security personnel against demonstrators during the agitations staged by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar in July 2026.
A shot from the protests at Jantar Mantar
The committee shall examine allegations ranging from the use of pellet guns and electric batons to lathi charges and tear gas, besides claims of violence against female protestors, police surveillance and inadequate medical assistance as well as compensation for victims.
Other members of the panel
Besides Justice Reddy, the HPEC comprises former Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court (HC) Ravi Shankar Jha, former judge of Delhi High Court Justice Shalinder Kaur, former director of the CBI, Rishi Kumar Shukla and retired Director General of Police (DGP) of Meghalaya, Dr LR Bishnoi.
The panel shall also pay heed to the allegations voiced by the authorities regarding violence against cops and damage to public property during the protests. One of the key issues before the committee is whether force was used in a proportionate manner and whether adequate warnings were issued before deploying pellet guns, electric batons, lathis and tear gas. It will assess claims that some protestors sustained severe, grievous or lasting injuries.
A screengrab of a protestor being pulled over by Delhi Police
The HPEC will further examine whether metallic kinetic projectiles or pellets fired from pump-action or projectile-action guns should be prohibited, given the potentially irreversible injuries they can cause.
Focus to be laid on accountability, women protestors and surveillance
Furthermore, the committee will consider whether police and security personnel should be required to wear proper uniforms and visible nameplates while making arrests or using force during crowd-control operations.
Allegations of police monitoring and surveillance of protestors will also come under scrutiny, particularly whether such measures were consistent with constitutional protections pertaining to privacy and peaceful assembly.
The panel has been entrusted with scrutinising allegations of targeted violence, harassment, molestation and secondary victimisation of female protestors. It shall also assess the medical and other assistance provided to the ones who fell prey to police abuse, including the adequacy of compensation.
Other key issues concern the use of blanket prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, as well as safeguards against the alleged misuse of Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), to curb political dissent and peaceful protests.
Clashes erupted during CJP’s Sansad Chalo march
Delhi’s Jantar Mantar saw a massive protest led by the CJP in July 2026 over alleged irregularities linked to the NEET UG 2026 paper leak, in which thousands of students participated.
Another visual from the Jantar Mantar protests
Tensions hit a new high on July 20 when clashes ensued between protestors and Delhi Police during the party’s Sansad Chalo march. Protestors accused the police of using excessive force, but the police denied the claims.
The party called off the agitation after the then-Union Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, stepped down from his post.