SC directs panel to prioritise sexual assault complaints of women student protesters

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Aug 25, 2026: The Supreme Court on Monday directed the High-Powered Enquiry Committee probing allegations of police violence during student protests to prioritise complaints of sexual assault and harassment involving women protesters.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said the committee had been asked, under its August 18 order, to examine the complaints on priority and submit an interim report at the earliest.

The court’s observations came after senior advocate Shobha Gupta urged it to take suo motu cognisance of alleged sexual assaults during the July 20 student protests at Jantar Mantar. Gupta said several women protesters had alleged sexual assault by police personnel and sought a separate investigation into the complaints.

Justice Joymalya Bagchi noted that an independent writ petition on the issue was already pending and that the high-powered committee had been directed to examine it.

Gupta suggested that a District Judge be designated to receive complaints directly from the affected women. Responding to concerns about how protesters could approach the committee, the Chief Justice said its chairperson had been authorised to appoint nodal officers and that the procedure for filing complaints would be notified after the appointments.

The CJI also agreed that the committee should publicise an email address for receiving complaints.

The Supreme Court had constituted a five-member committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice R. Subhash Reddy to examine allegations and counter-allegations of violence during student protests across the country.

The panel has specifically been directed to examine allegations of targeted violence, harassment, molestation and secondary victimisation of women protesters and submit an interim report at the earliest on allegations of excessive police force and molestation.