Supreme Court Forms 5-Member Panel Over Police Excesses

The team will be led by Justice R Shubhash Reddy, who's a former Supreme Court judge.

Who Are the Members of the Supreme Court Panel?

Apart from Justice R Shubhash Reddy, the five-member committee includes former Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Ravi Shankar Jha, former Delhi High Court judge Justice Shalinder Kaur, former CBI Director Rishi Kumar Shukla, and former Meghalaya DGP LR Bishnoi.

The Supreme Court said the committee was formed keeping in mind the experience, expertise and diversity of its members.

The bench, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, said the panel's findings and recommendations would help the court examine the matter in detail and take further action if needed.

Panel to Investigate Both Protesters and Police Actions

The committee will not only look into allegations of excessive force by police and security personnel but will also examine claims of violence by protesters.

It will assess whether the force used by authorities was lawful, necessary and proportionate to the situation.

One major focus of the investigation will be allegations of targeted violence, harassment and molestation of female protesters. The Supreme Court has directed the panel to give priority to these serious allegations.

Supreme Court Orders Continuous Assessment

The Supreme Court has made it clear that this will not be a one-time investigation.

The High-Powered Expert Committee will carry out a continuous and periodic assessment of the situation and submit interim findings to the court.

Based on these reports, the Supreme Court may issue further directions or take additional steps if required.

CCTV, Drone and Body-Cam Footage to Be Preserved

To ensure that important evidence is not lost or tampered with, the Supreme Court has ordered the preservation of key records related to the protests.

This includes:

• CCTV footage
• Drone recordings
• Police body-camera footage
• PCR call records

The committee will use the available evidence to independently examine the sequence of events and determine what happened during the protests.

It will also investigate whether police and security personnel were wearing proper uniforms and visible nameplates while making arrests or using force.

Compensation for Injured Protesters and Police Personnel

The committee will also consider the issue of interim compensation for people injured during the protests, including both protesters and police personnel.

Initial official reports stated that more than 118 police personnel and around 60 protesters were injured. Later police filings and updated assessments reported higher figures, with more than 240 police personnel and around 200 to 218 protesters said to have suffered injuries.

The Supreme Court's decision to form the five-member panel is expected to bring an independent review of the serious allegations surrounding the Jantar Mantar protests.

With the panel set to submit periodic findings, the case could see further directions from the top court as the investigation progresses.