The Supreme Court on Thursday accepted the resignation of retired Meghalaya Director General of Police Dr. L.R. Bishnoi from the five-member High-Powered Enquiry Committee (HPEC) constituted to investigate allegations of police excesses and violence during student protests.
The Bench said it was accepting the resignation for the reasons mentioned in Dr. L.R. Bishnoi’s resignation letter. The Court observed that if the committee requires another former police officer of DGP rank or a senior officer, the HPEC itself may suggest names, or the parties may make suggestions. The Court, however, also noted that the committee already has a senior officer with experience as Director General of State Police, Director of the CBI and Director of the Intelligence Bureau. CJI noted:
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“If they require an officer, former police officer of DGP rank or other senior rank, the committee may make suggestion names, or the parties can suggest the name, provided they require. Because there is already one officer, who has, having all the three distinctions, Director General of the State Police, (29:50) he remained Director CBI, he remained Director IP.”
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted that the Court should itself suggest a name, as allowing the parties to propose candidates could lead to speculation.
The HPEC, headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice R. Subhash Reddy, was constituted to examine allegations of excessive use of force by police against student protesters, as well as alleged violence by protesters against police personnel.