Retd Justice BS Chauhan to head 3-member panel probing Vikas Dubey encounter, orders SC

The Supreme Court today appointed former Supreme Court judge Justice B.S. Chauhan to head the inquiry into the infamous gangster Vikas Dubey's encounter.

In the last hearing, the Supreme Court had asked the Uttar Pradesh Government to suggest two names, one of a retired Supreme Court judge and one of a retired police officer who would spearhead the inquiry commission set up by the State.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appearing for the State of Uttar Pradesh suggested the name of Justice Chauhan along with Former Uttar Pradesh DGP K.L. Gupta to be included in the inquiry. Mehta also told the bench headed by the Chief Justice of India S.A. Bobde that Justice Chauhan had agreed to be a part of the inquiry.

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The Chief Justice of India told the Solicitor that it was important to find out if there were any failures on part of the State machinery that led to Vikas Dubey being released on parole.

The Supreme Court ordered for the Inquiry Commission to commence its probe into the matter within one week and also directed for a report to be filed before the Supreme Court on the findings of the committee within two months. The Supreme Court further clarified that any secretarial assistance required by the Commission will be provided by the Central Government and not the State. The Commission will work out of Kanpur, which is where the encounter took place.

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Justice B.S. Chauhan served as a judge of the Supreme Court from May 2009 to July 2014 after which he has held several important posts such as the Chairperson of the 21st Law Commission of India and the Chairperson of the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal. 

The third and the final member of the Commission is Retired Justice Shashi Kant Agarwal who served as a judge in the Allahabad High Court. He was the lone member of the Commission that had been set up by the Uttar Pradesh government.

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