The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the high-powered committee probing allegations of police action against protesting students to submit its report within a month, saying it could not wait indefinitely for the findings.
The apex court observed that the report submitted by the panel on October 31 was merely a status report detailing the work carried out so far and did not contain any findings on the allegations of police brutality.
The court asked the committee to examine all documents and evidence received so far and seek responses from the officials concerned.
It also made clear that the panel should not restrict its inquiry to complaints filed by the victims alone. The committee must also consider complaints, videos and other evidence submitted
by lawyers and others on behalf of the victims.
The matter will next be heard on December 2.
The Supreme Court-appointed High-Powered Enquiry Committee (HPEC) probing alleged violence and police excesses during the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led protests at Jantar Mantar has so far received hardly any complaints from people affected by the violence.
A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi said the HPEC, headed by a former Supreme Court judge, was currently unable to arrive at any finding on the violence during the July 20 protests due to want of material.
The panel informed the court that it had issued notices in 149 newspapers inviting complaints regarding the violence during the CJP-led march to Parliament on July 20 in Delhi. However, hardly any complaints were received online or physically.
It said it had again invited complaints on October 21, reiterating details of its online portal and office address.
The top court in August ordered the constitution of the committee while hearing a batch of pleas alleging police excesses against student protesters during the agitation spearheaded by the CJP, alongside allegations of violence against police personnel.
The march had witnessed clashes between protesters and security personnel, who used lathis and tear gas shells to disperse crowds attempting to move towards Parliament.
The student-led protests, which spread to several cities, centred on the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The agitation began at Jantar Mantar on June 20 and was called off on July 25 after Pradhan resigned, and the government accepted the CJP’s other demands.
