NEET protests: Supreme Court directs high-powered committee to prioritise sexual assault complaints

The Supreme Court confirmed on Monday that the High-Powered Enquiry Committee (HPEC), set up to investigate allegations of police violence during the NEET protests, has been instructed to prioritize complaints of sexual assault against women protesters.

A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, alongside Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, provided this clarification after senior advocate Shobha Gupta requested the court to take suo motu cognisance of molestation and sexual assault allegations stemming from the July 20 protest at Jantar Mantar. Gupta urged the bench to create a direct submission mechanism for victims, citing widely circulated social media reports of abuse, including an instance where a lathi was jabbed into a woman's buttocks.

"I am beseeching the court to take suo motu cognisance of these instances," Gupta stated, suggesting the designation of a district judge or an officer alongside a publicized email ID to help victims submit complaints directly. She added, "I request that the sexual assault cases be taken up separately and that the court constitute, maybe not a committee, but appoint a district judge or designate someone so that the girls can actually send their complaints directly and those sexual assault cases can be taken up on a priority basis."


Also read: CJP's Abhijeet Dipke issues open letter to all education ministers

In response, the Chief Justice noted that, per last week's order, "the committee has been requested to examine it on a priority basis, and immediately submit an interim report." Justice Bagchi also highlighted that an independent writ petition had already been filed on the matter and assigned to the HPEC.

Formed on August 20 under former Supreme Court judge Justice R Subhash Reddy, the five-member panel includes former Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Ravi Shankar Jha, former Delhi High Court judge Justice Shalinder Kaur, former CBI director Rishi Kumar Shukla, and retired Meghalaya DGP L R Bishnoi. The committee is tasked with probing excessive police force, such as pellet gun deployment, as well as alleged violence by protesters against security personnel.

The nationwide student agitation, which began on June 20 at Jantar Mantar over competitive exam irregularities, featured a Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led march on July 20 that escalated into clashes involving lathis and tear gas. The protests concluded on July 25 following the resignation of then Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and the government's acceptance of the CJP's remaining demands.