Supreme Court keeps pellet-gun probe intact
The court rejected calls to reconstitute the panel and directed it to examine allegations involving pellet guns, women protesters and police injuries.
The Supreme Court has kept the five-member enquiry committee in place under its supervision.
The Supreme Court has declined to reconstitute the five-member High-Powered Enquiry Committee examining allegations of force during protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. The committee will continue under the court’s supervision, rather than being replaced because someone decided an inquiry should be redesigned before it properly began.
The court directed the panel to prioritise allegations involving pellet-gun use, targeted violence and harassment of women protesters, injuries to police personnel and damage to public property, according to reports of the September 16 hearing. The court also appointed senior advocate Dr Monika Gusain and advocate-on-record C. Solomon as amici curiae to assist the bench.
The Supreme Court separately directed Delhi Police to assess the threat perception facing a 14-year-old protester and her family, provide protection and investigate alleged threats or harassment. The child’s identity has not been disclosed. The allegations remain under inquiry; the court has not found that pellet guns were used or that any party committed the alleged acts. The full September 16 order was not available in the material reviewed, so the exact terms of reference and compliance status remain unconfirmed. Delhi Police has yet to publicly explain how it is implementing the protection direction.