The Supreme Court-appointed High Powered Enquiry Committee (HPEC), tasked with inquiring into violence at Jantar Mantar, Delhi, and other places outside Delhi during the CJP protests in July has opened an online portal for people to upload complaints and representations, according to a Home Ministry statement on Saturday.
The statement added that priority will be given to complaints of pellet use and harassment of female protesters among others. Track live updates on CJP protest
“The HPEC shall examine all issues enumerated in paragraphs 12 and 13 of the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s Order dated August 18, 2026, and paragraph 5(i) of the order dated September 10, 2026. Priority will be given to matters pertaining to the use of pellet guns, targeted violence and harassment of female protestors, and excessive violence and destruction of property occasioned on either side,” a government statement said.
The paragraphs mentioned in the two SC orders are about the same issues: use of pellets, electric batons, violence against protesters, including police personnel, compensation, and targeted violence.
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The statement said that the portal http://hpec.nic.in has been launched for the convenience of the affected people including victims among police and other security forces during the protests.
“The Portal is designed in such a manner as to enable due protection to vulnerable witnesses and also to keep the identities confidential and undisclosed, if so wished by the affected persons. The affected persons and other stakeholders are encouraged to access the portal and upload their complaints/representations making use of the formats as applicable, “the statement said adding that those who wish to submit the complaints submit the complaints, can do so at the Office of the HPEC at Shiksha Sadan, 17, Rouse Avenue Institutional Area, New Delhi 110002 between 1400 hrs. and 1600 Hrs. on all working days.
“Submissions can also be sent by post at the above address or by email at hpec2026.enquiry[at]nic[dot]in,” the statement said.
HT checked the portal, where one can submit information in four different ways: as an affected person (including police personnel), those who want to submit complaints or are witnesses but wish to remain anonymous, the third is for submitting any other information confidentially, and the fourth is for those with suggestions for the HPEC. For each category, there are different questions along with the option to attach complaints. There is also a question to check if the victim was sexually assaulted. One can also post videos and photographs of the injuries, the incident or the medical reports.
During the protests in July, the CRPF’s Rapid Action Force, which was working under the command of Delhi police, allegedly fired pellets at protesters. Pellet guns, categorised as a non-lethal deterrent along with tear gas, rubber bullets and smoke grenades, are included in the RAF’s manual for crowd control but the Opposition, students and experts have termed their use on student protesters as inappropriate. It was also the first time pellets were used in New Delhi. They were previously used in Jammu and Kashmir(J&K) and became controversial after many victims lost their eyesight due to the pellets.
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HT has reported that at least four people – Sheikh Irshad Mansuri (25), Nootan Toppo (32), a 28-year-old reporter and Sahil Lochab (19)—sustained pellet injuries. While police and CRPF have not commented on the use of pellets, the medico-legal case (MLC) report has confirmed pellet wounds. In Sahil Lochab’s case, Delhi police were also forced to file an FIR on August 21 after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi sat on a dharna at the police station with Lochab alleging that police had initially not filed a case despite receiving two complaints the previous week.
On August 18, the SC constituted a five-member committee headed by former judge R Subhash Reddy to independently inquire into allegations of violence during the July 20 student protests. The inquiry will also examine far-reaching issues such as pellet gun use, mandatory uniforms for law enforcement personnel during crowd control, blanket prohibitory orders, the legality of police surveillance, and whether a BNS provision was stifling dissent. A comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, said the competing allegations made out a prima facie case for an independent and impartial investigation into allegations of excessive and disproportionate use of force by police and security personnel during the July 20 student protests, while also examining claims of violence against police personnel and damage to public property
The five-member committee comprises justice (retired) R Subhash Reddy, former Supreme Court judge, as chairperson; justice (retired) Ravi Shankar Jha, former chief justice of the Punjab and Haryana high court; justice (retired) Shalinder Kaur, former Delhi high court judge; Rishi Kumar Shukla, former Central Bureau of Investigation director; and LR Bishnoi, retired director general of police, Meghalaya.