The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed an application seeking expert assistance for analysing survey data linked to an ongoing criminal appeal.
A Bench of Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice R. Mahadevan heard submissions from amicus curiae Aparna Bhat and Additional Solicitor General K.M. Nataraj. The court was dealing with an interlocutory application filed in a pending criminal appeal by Amit Kumar and others.
The plea requested the court to appoint Dr. T.C.A. Anant, former Chief Statistician of India, as a technical consultant to the National Task Force. It also sought directions to the Ministry of Education to provide him with administrative support, access to data, infrastructure, and appropriate remuneration.
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Accepting the request, the Bench directed that Dr. Anant be formally appointed to assist the National Task Force in conducting a “comprehensive and scientific analysis of the survey data.” The court observed that such expert input was necessary for a proper evaluation of the material placed before it.
“The Ministry of Education shall pass an order of appointment of Dr. T.C.A. Anant at the earliest,” the Bench ordered. It further directed the Ministry to ensure full administrative assistance, including infrastructure and data access.
On remuneration, the court said that Dr. Anant should be paid an appropriate honorarium “in accordance with prevalent norms.”
With these directions, the interlocutory application was disposed of.
Case Title: Amit Kumar & Ors. vs Union of India & Ors.
Case No.: Criminal Appeal No. 1425 of 2025
Decision Date: 6 February 2026
