The Chief Justice of India on Monday clarified that the High-Powered Enquiry Committee, which has been constituted to examine the allegations of police violence during the student protests, has been asked to take up on priority the complaints of sexual assault faced by women protesters.

CJI Surya Kant further stated that as per the order passed last week, the Committee has to submit an interim report on sexual assault complaints at the earliest.

The Chief Justice made these observations when Senior Advocate Shobha Gupta requested the Supreme Court's suo motu cognizance of the cases of sexual assault during the Jantar Mantar student protests of July 20. Gupta said that there are widely reported complaints of women facing molestation from police officers. "Girls are claiming that they were sexually assaulted; it was heavily reported on social media...I am beseeching for a suo motu cognizance," Gupta said.

Justice Joymalya Bagchi, who was sitting alongside the CJI, pointed out that an independent writ petition was filed on the same cause, and the HPEC has been asked to examine the issue. Gupta however, requested that sexual assault cases be separately investigated, and a District Judge be designated before whom girls can submit their complaints directly.

The CJI then pointed out that the order dated August 18 has specifically mentioned this issue. "The Committee has been requested to examine it on priority basis, and immediately submit an interim report," CJI said.

Gupta then shared a concern as to how the aggrieved women can approach the Committee. The CJI said that the Committee's Chairperson has been given the power to appoint nodal officers, and once the appointment is done, the procedure for making of complaints will be notified.

Last week, the Supreme Court constituted a 5-member panel headed by former SC Judge Justice R Subhash Reddy to examine the allegations of violence during the student protests across the country. The Committee has been tasked with examining both the allegations and counter-allegations of violence by police personnel and protesters.

The Court asked the HPEC to address on a priority basis "the alleged incidents of targeted violence, harassment, molestation and/or any secondary victimisation directed against female protestors."

The HPEC has been asked to give an interim report at the earliest on allegations of excessive police force and molestation.