Indian Court Sets Up Committee to Probe Police Excesses During Student Protests

A bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant has set up a five-member committee to look into allegations of police excesses during student protests over alleged malpractices and paper leak allegations in NEET-UG 2026. The committee will look into allegations of excessive use of force, pellet injuries, violence against women protesters, surveillance and damage to public property. The court is also looking into wider questions related to police accountability and the constitutional right to peaceful protest. The matter relates to the'Chalo Parliament'march in Delhi on July 20, 2026, and student protests across the country. The issue of use of facial recognition technology to identify protesters also came up during the hearing. Senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy said the court has been asked how the technology is being used, who owns it, where the data is stored and who has access to that data.