The Supreme Court-appointed High Powered Enquiry Committee (HPEC) investigating violence during the July NEET paper leak protests has said it will give first attention to the use of pellet guns, targeted violence, harassment of female protesters, and excessive force and property damage attributed to either side. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued the statement on the committee's behalf, according to The Hindu.
The committee has also opened a complaints portal, hpec.nic.in, so that affected people — including police personnel — can file submissions online. The MHA said the portal is built to protect vulnerable witnesses and to keep complainants' identities confidential if they request it.
Why it matters
The July 20 march to Parliament, called by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) over alleged examination irregularities and the NEET paper leak, turned violent, and the fallout reached Parliament itself. According to The Hindu, at least 80 protesters were injured, and women alleged they were sexually assaulted by police personnel. Opposition parties pressed for answers on who authorised the use of pellet guns, disrupting the monsoon session. The committee's stated priorities place the most contested elements of that day — pellet fire, violence aimed at particular people, and the treatment of women protesters — at the front of the inquiry.
What the committee will examine
The MHA statement said the panel will look into all issues listed in paragraphs 12 and 13 of the Supreme Court's order of August 18, 2026, and paragraph 5(i) of its order of September 10, 2026. Beyond the priority matters, it will take up excessive violence and destruction of property caused by either side.
The Hindu first reported on July 21 that at least one protester had been struck by a pellet fired from the Rapid Action Force's anti-riot equipment during the march. Three more people later said they had been hit by pellets, which are typically discharged from pump-action guns.
On July 28, The Hindu reported that Delhi Police had denied using pellet guns, but a general diary entry at Parliament Street police station recorded that the RAF fired two rounds from an anti-riot gun on the instructions of a Deputy Commissioner of Police-ranked officer.
How to file a complaint
The committee is asking affected persons and other stakeholders to use the portal and upload complaints or representations in the applicable formats. Anyone with information or suggestions on the matters covered by the two Supreme Court orders can also submit them through the site.
Physical submissions are accepted at the HPEC office at Shiksha Sadan, 17, Rouse Avenue Institutional Area, New Delhi 110002, between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. on working days. Material can also be sent by post to that address or by email to [email protected].
The panel's next step will be to begin receiving and sorting submissions through the portal and its office, with the pellet gun question and the allegations involving women protesters expected to be taken up first.
