Jantar Mantar protest inquiry: SC panel launches portal for evidence and complaints

SC panel opens digital portal for protest evidence

The Supreme Court-appointed High Powered Enquiry Committee investigating violence during the July student protests at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi has launched an online portal for affected citizens and security personnel to log complaints and submit evidence.

The Ministry of Home Affairs announced that the portal, hpec.nic.in, has been designed to allow victims, witnesses, and security officers to upload representations while protecting witness confidentiality. Affected persons can submit medical reports, photographs, and video recordings directly through the system.

Priority will be given to claims involving the use of pellet guns, targeted violence, harassment of female protesters, and destruction of public and private property on either side.

How complaints can be submitted

The enquiry panel has established four distinct submission streams on the portal to accommodate affected individuals, anonymous witnesses, general information, and policy suggestions.

Panel structure and scope of inquiry

The five-member independent panel was constituted on 18 August by a Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant. The court tasked the committee with carrying out a comprehensive, impartial inquiry into all claims of force during the July demonstration, as well as alleged violence against law enforcement personnel and damage to public assets.

Former Supreme Court judge R Subhash Reddy heads the committee. Its members include former Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Ravi Shankar Jha, former Delhi High Court judge Shalinder Kaur, former CBI Director Rishi Kumar Shukla, and former Meghalaya Director General of Police LR Bishnoi.

Beyond specific incidents from the July gathering, the committee is examining broader administrative protocols, including crowd control guidelines, police uniform mandates during deployments, and law enforcement practices to ensure transparent governance and national stability.

Separately, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal addressed reporters regarding the designation of protest venues in the capital, expressing confidence that the Supreme Court will maintain an appropriate balance between fundamental rights and public order.