India, July 29 -- The Supreme Court on Tuesday paved the way for an independent inquiry into allegations of police excesses as well as attacks on police personnel during the recent student protests, holding that allegations disclosed a prima facie case warranting a "thorough, fair and impartial" investigation by a high-powered panel, granting interim protection to protesting students and directing the immediate release of all detained minors without criminal antecedents.

A bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana issued notices to the Union government and the chief secretaries of Delhi, Maharashtra, Bihar, Assam, Kerala, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, observing that the competin...