Delhi NEET protest: SC panel to hear evidence on pellet gun use, harassment claims on Oct 29, 30

The High Powered Enquiry Committee (HPEC) is a five-member panel appointed by the Supreme Court. It is examining competing allegations from the July protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, including police excesses and violence against police personnel. Its purpose is to collect evidence and establish what happened.

For example, it will investigate reports that pellet guns were used during the Cockroach Janata Party’s July 20 march to Parliament. It will also hear claims of targeted violence and harassment of female protesters, while examining excessive force and property damage on both sides. Retired Supreme Court judge Justice R. Subhash Reddy chairs the panel.

The committee will hold hearings in New Delhi on October 29 and 30. Public submissions are accepted between 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m., and visitors need valid identification. Witnesses can also use hpec.nic.in to upload statements and supporting documents. These channels could help affected people participate safely and give the Supreme Court a fuller record for its proceedings.

People affected by the July Jantar Mantar violence can submit material in person on October 29 and 30. The Supreme Court-appointed High Powered Enquiry Committee will hear complaints, representations, and evidence. It is examining alleged pellet-gun use and harassment.

Visit the committee’s office at Shiksha Sadan, 17 Rouse Avenue Institutional Area, New Delhi. Proceedings begin at 11 a.m. Walk-in submissions are accepted from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on both days. Visitors must carry valid identity documents.

This provides a direct route for accounts and supporting material to reach the panel. Its inquiry covers alleged excessive force, targeted violence, harassment of female protesters, and property damage. The online portal, hpec.nic.in, also accepts statements and documents. It was created to protect vulnerable witnesses and broaden participation.

The panel will examine whether security personnel used pellet guns during the July 20 march to Parliament. It will also investigate targeted violence and alleged harassment of female protesters. These hearings matter because they address claims of excessive force during a student-led protest, alongside accusations of violence against police.

The Hindu reported two people were struck by pellets allegedly fired by Rapid Action Force personnel. The Central Reserve Police Force was reportedly verifying claims that pellet guns were used against protesters. The panel will compare such accounts with complaints, witness statements, and supporting documents.

It will also examine property damage attributed to both sides, not only alleged police conduct. Chaired by retired Supreme Court judge Justice R. Subhash Reddy, the five-member panel begins hearings October 29 and 30. People may submit evidence in person or through hpec.nic.in, using valid identity documents for walk-in submissions.

The enquiry panel has five members. It combines senior judicial experience with national criminal-investigation and police leadership. That breadth matters because the Supreme Court tasked it with examining alleged violence during the July protests.

Justice R. Subhash Reddy, a retired Supreme Court judge, chairs the panel. Ravi Shankar Jha is a former Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Justice Shalinder Kaur is a former Delhi High Court judge. Former CBI director Rishi Kumar Shukla adds national investigative experience. Retired Meghalaya Director General of Police L.R. Bishnoi contributes senior policing experience. Together, they can assess legal protections, evidence, investigative claims, and police conduct.

At hearings on October 29 and 30, the panel will examine alleged pellet-gun use and targeted violence. It will also examine harassment of female protesters, excessive force, and property damage. Affected people can submit evidence in person with valid identification or through hpec.nic.in.

Vulnerable witnesses do not have to appear before the panel in Delhi. They can use the Supreme Court-appointed committee’s online portal, hpec.nic.in, to submit statements and evidence. This route protects vulnerable people and widens access to the inquiry.

Someone alleging pellet-gun injury during the July 20 march, for example, can upload a statement. They can attach supporting documentary evidence through prescribed formats on the portal. The committee can therefore receive material even when someone cannot attend its public sitting.

The panel will also hear people in person on October 29 and 30 in New Delhi. Walk-in submissions are accepted from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., with valid identity documents. Online submission offers a practical alternative for witnesses needing greater safety or flexibility.

The Supreme Court directed the enquiry committee to safeguard vulnerable witnesses while collecting evidence about the July protests. The article does not list protections such as anonymity or physical security; it specifically describes an online submission system.

That system, hpec.nic.in, offers formats for statements, representations, and supporting documents. This matters because affected people and witnesses can submit material without relying only on appearing before the panel in person.

People may also attend the Delhi sitting on October 29 and 30, from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., with valid identity documents. The committee says these arrangements should widen participation and protect vulnerable witnesses, while helping examine pellet-gun allegations, harassment, excessive force, and property damage.

A pellet gun fires many small pellets in one shot, rather than one bullet. It may be used as a less-lethal crowd-control weapon, but “less-lethal” does not mean harmless. Pellets can break skin, damage eyes, or injure internal organs.

The danger increases because one discharge can spread across a crowd and strike several people. At close range, pellets carry enough force to penetrate tissue, while hits to the face or eyes can cause permanent disability. The article reports two people were hit by pellets allegedly fired by Rapid Action Force personnel during the July 20 march to Parliament.

Those allegations remain under examination, not a final finding. A Supreme Court-appointed panel, chaired by retired Justice R. Subhash Reddy, will hear evidence in New Delhi on October 29 and 30. It will examine pellet-gun use, excessive force, targeted violence, harassment, and property damage. The case shows why authorities must verify weapon use and investigate injuries transparently.