The Supreme Court of India has constituted a five-member High-Powered Enquiry Committee (HPEC) to investigate allegations of police excesses during the students' march from Jantar Mantar towards Parliament on 20 July, appointing former Supreme Court Justice R. Subhash Reddy as its chairperson. The order, delivered on Tuesday, 20 August, by a bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, marks a significant judicial intervention into the handling of student protests in the national capital.

Who is on the Panel

The four other members of the HPEC are: former Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Ravi Shankar Jha; former Delhi High Court judge Justice Shalinder Kaur; former Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director Rishi Kumar Shukla; and former Meghalaya Director General of Police Dr L.R. Bishnoi. The panel brings together judicial, investigative, and law-enforcement expertise — a composition that signals the court's intent to examine the episode from multiple accountability angles.

What the Committee Will Investigate

The HPEC has been tasked with examining a broad range of alleged violations. These include the use of excessive force — specifically the deployment of pellet guns, electric batons, lathi charges, and tear gas — and whether police responses were proportionate to the constitutional right to peaceful protest. The bench directed the committee to assess whether force was used 'without adequate warning or proportionality, resulting in severe bodily harm and injuries, some of which are alleged to be of a grievous and lasting nature.'

The panel will also examine allegations of violence, harassment, and molestation of women protesters; the adequacy of medical assistance provided to the injured; and whether prohibitory orders under Section 163 BNSS and Section 152 BNSS were deployed in a manner that could suppress peaceful political dissent.

Accountability and Identification of Officers

A notable directive from the court requires the HPEC to examine whether police and security personnel were wearing proper uniforms and visible nameplates while effecting arrests or using force during crowd-control operations. The Supreme Court made clear this is essential to securing individual accountability — an issue that has repeatedly surfaced in judicial inquiries into protest policing across India.

Crucially, the court's order states that the constitution of the HPEC 'shall in no way deter or debar the Police authorities or other security forces from taking administrative or disciplinary action' against officers found to have violated conduct rules. Parallel departmental action, in other words, is not stayed.

Evidence and CCTV Footage

The Supreme Court has directed all police authorities, paramilitary forces, and investigating agencies to furnish the HPEC with the complete record of CCTV footage, drone footage, body-worn camera recordings, videography, wireless communication records, and PCR call logs pertaining to the student protests — materials that were ordered to be preserved by a prior court direction dated 28 July 2026.

What the Court Kept for Itself

Chief Justice Surya Kant clarified that the larger constitutional questions around facial recognition technology, surveillance, and privacy will be decided by the apex court itself and will not be delegated to the committee. The HPEC has been asked to submit its First Interim Report at the earliest. With those constitutional questions reserved, the Supreme Court appears to be signalling that the Jantar Mantar episode may generate landmark rulings on digital surveillance and protest rights — well beyond the immediate inquiry.