Police personnel use a lathi charge to disperse supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) during a protest march demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in New Delhi on July 20, 2026. | Photo credit: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar

The Supreme Court on Thursday (Nov 5, 2026) said that “very few complaints” were received directly on the online portal of the High Powered Inquiry Committee (HPEC) probing allegations of police brutality and sexual abuse of women during the July 20 violence sparked by demonstrations against the NEET-UG 2026 minister’s question paper leak that prompted Dharmen’s resignation.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, after perusing the action taken report (ATR) submitted by HPEC on October 31, said that while the HPEC portal hardly saw any response, no complaints were received by email, post or physical delivery to the HPEC offices.

ATR said the lack of complaints from protesters was despite repeated public announcements that complaints would be confidential and accessible only to the chair and members of HPEC.

The bench said that in such circumstances and in the light of the ATR, the petitioners before the apex court can submit any material, including video clips, on violence to the HPEC for consideration.

The direction came in response to a submission by advocate Vrinda Grover that police authorities have not shared any information, evidence or material with HPEC so far.

“If machine guns were fired, who authorized it… what is the order… where is the ammunition register… The HPEC report does not appear to show that the authorities provided any such material. Why did they not produce the records before HPEC,” Ms Grover asked.

The Chief Justice said that petitions seeking such information should be considered by the HPEC and the panel must record the authorities’ responses without further delay.

“The committee does not have to wait indefinitely. Whatever material comes in, whoever needs to respond, let them respond. We would like the committee to start reporting findings of fact now,” the chief justice noted in the order.

Senior advocate N. Hariharan said legal questions such as whether “monitoring or surveillance of protesters, if carried out, was consistent with their constitutional rights to privacy and free assembly” should not be left to the committee.

“The court itself must deal with these issues. The committee cannot deal with such fundamental issues affecting fundamental rights,” he said.

The Court asked the HPEC to submit its first fact-finding report within a month. The Court said the relevant findings of the HPEC should ordinarily be shared with all the parties unless circumstances require confidentiality. The matter will be heard again in December.

Published – 5 Nov 2026 14:38 IST