Supreme Court panel to probe pellet‑gun claims in July Delhi protests

The Supreme Court‑appointed High Powered Enquiry Committee will sit on Oct 29‑30 in New Delhi to hear evidence on alleged pellet‑gun use and harassment of female protesters during the July Jantar Mantar clashes. Proceedings start at 11 a.m. at Shiksha Sadan, 17 Rouse Avenue, Institutional Area. From 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on both days, anyone with valid ID can walk in to lodge complaints, submit representations or present proof. The panel will look into claims of pellet‑gun firing, targeted violence, mistreatment of women, excessive force and property damage by both protesters and police. The five‑member panel is led by retired Supreme Court judge R. Subhash Reddy and includes former Punjab‑Haryana High Court chief justice Ravi Shankar Jha, former Delhi High Court judge Shalinder Kaur, ex‑CBI director Rishi Kumar Shukla and retired Meghalaya DGP L.R. Bishnoi. An online portal (hpec.nic.in) lets witnesses upload statements and documents while keeping their identities confidential, as ordered by the court. The Supreme Court has instructed the committee to give full protection to vulnerable witnesses. The July 20 march organised by the Cockroach Janta Party turned violent when police deployed tear‑gas shells, baton charges and possibly pellet guns, sending several students to hospital. The protest, which began on June 20 at Jantar Mantar and spread nationwide, was called off on July 25 after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned.

Context

Pellet guns are intended as non‑lethal crowd‑control tools but can cause serious injuries, prompting courts to intervene when misuse is alleged. Such high‑level enquiries aim to balance police authority with citizens’ rights and often lead to policy reviews.