HPEC to prioritise complaints of sexual assault during NEET protests: SC

HPEC to prioritise complaints of sexual assault during NEET protests: SC

New Delhi, The High-Powered Enquiry Committee, constituted by the Supreme Court to examine allegations of police violence during the NEET protests, has been asked to take up on priority the complaints of sexual assault faced by women protesters, the apex court said on Monday.

HPEC to prioritise complaints of sexual assault during NEET protests: SC

The clarification was made by a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, when senior advocate Shobha Gupta urged it to take suo motu cognisance of the allegations of sexual assault and molestation of women during the July 20 protest at Jantar Mantar.

Gupta also urged the bench to establish a mechanism through which alleged victims can directly submit their complaints for examination.

The CJI said the High-Powered Enquiry Committee would take up on priority the complaints of sexual assault faced by protesters.

As per the order passed last week, "the committee has been requested to examine it on a priority basis, and immediately submit an interim report," the CJI said.

Justice Bagchi pointed out that an independent writ petition was filed on the same cause, and the HPEC has been asked to examine the issue.

Referring to reports and accounts of alleged assaults that were circulated widely on social media, Gupta said the allegations included a lathi being jabbed into a woman's buttocks.

"I am beseeching the court to take suo motu cognisance of these instances," the senior advocate said.

She requested that the alleged sexual assault cases be dealt with separately and on a priority basis.

She also suggested that the court could designate a district judge or another appropriate authority to receive complaints directly from the alleged victims.

"I request that the sexual assault cases be taken up separately and that the court constitute, maybe not a committee, but appoint a district judge or designate someone so that the girls can actually send their complaints directly and those sexual assault cases can be taken up on a priority basis," she said.

Gupta said her specific concern was about how the high-powered committee would receive complaints from alleged victims.

"There should be an order providing an email ID and designating an officer to whom the complaints can be sent, and it should be given publicity," she submitted, stressing that such a mechanism would ensure that the allegations reached the committee.

On August 20, the top court formed a five-member high-powered committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice R Subhash Reddy to examine allegations of police excesses against student protesters in Delhi and violence against police personnel.

The committee also consists of former Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Ravi Shankar Jha, former Delhi High Court Judge Justice Shalinder Kaur, former CBI director Rishi Kumar Shukla and retired Meghalaya DGP L R Bishnoi.

The committee has been asked to examine police's use of excessive force and violence against protesters, including the deployment of pellet guns. It has also been asked to examine the alleged use of force and violence by protesters against police officials and other security personnel.

The Cockroach Janta Party -led Parliament march on July 20 saw clashes between protesters and security personnel, who used lathis and tear gas shells to disperse crowds.

The student protests, which spread to several cities, focused on the demand for then Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over irregularities in competitive examinations, including NEET.

The agitation, which began at Jantar Mantar on June 20, ended on July 25 after Pradhan resigned and the government accepted the CJP's other demands.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.