Hans News Service New Delhi

TheSupreme Court has formed a five-member high-powered committee headed by former top court judge Justice R Subhash Reddy to examine allegations of police excesses against student protesters in Delhi recently and violence against police personnel.

A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana said the committee would also comprise 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.

"This HPEC (High-Powered Enquiry Committee) has been constituted bearing in mind a wide variety of considerations, including the individual expertise and experience of each of its members, as well as the diversity of the Committee, among other factors.

It asked the Committee to undertake a continuous and periodic assessment of the issues and shall submit its interim findings periodically.

"We are confident that the recommendations of the HPEC will be of invaluable assistance to this Court, and the Committee will be able to undertake a comprehensive assessment of all such issues as merit due contemplation," the bench said.

The top court clarified that as a matter of abundant caution, the enquiry undertaken by the HPEC shall not be a one-time exercise.