Pellets Fired At CJP’s Parliament March? RTI Reveals Injury Details

Medical staff at two government hospitals in Delhi treated at least 10 demonstrators for "pellet, shots or projectile injuries" sustained during their 20 July march to Parliament. The details emerged from Right to Information (RTI) responses obtained by Trinamool Congress national spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale.

The responses came about three weeks after security forces lathicharged and tear-gassed student demonstrators who were walking from Jantar Mantar to Parliament. Protesters alleged that personnel also deployed pellet guns during the clash.

Delhi Police denied firing pellet guns, stating the weapons are absent from their armoury. However, the crowd-control devices remain part of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) arsenal. State police and the Central Reserve Police Force initially introduced pellet guns for crowd control in Jammu and Kashmir around 2010, and pellets have in many documented cases blinded people.

What Hospitals Revealed

Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC) confirmed in an RTI document dated 7 August that it treated nine patients for "pellet, shots or projectile injuries". The facility admitted 81 injured individuals overall. This total comprised 35 police officers and 46 protesters. The 46 protesters were "presented independently", and the 35 injured police officers were brought by the police.

The LHMC injury breakdown recorded 14 head and facial injuries. Medical staff also noted five fractures and 36 lacerations or contusions. One patient suffered combined ocular, respiratory and dermal injuries. The LHMC director did not respond to email inquiries regarding the casualty data.

Safdarjung Hospital issued a separate RTI response on 7 August. The facility confirmed it treated one patient for pellet wounds. The hospital informed that 25 police personnel and four demonstrators arrived between 12 a.m and 11:59 pm on 20 July with injuries stated or recorded as having been sustained at or in the vicinity of Jantar Mantar. The official document stated, "Pellet injury – 1 case presented on July 20."

A Safdarjung Hospital spokesperson informed that a 28-year-old male arrived on the evening of 21 July claiming he had sustained pellet hits. The spokesperson said, "Upon arrival, he was promptly attended to by the concerned medical team and underwent appropriate clinical evaluation. Necessary medical treatment was provided in accordance with established protocols." The patient was found to be in a stable condition and was discharged on the same day following a detailed clinical examination. He was advised to report to the Surgery Outpatient Department (OPD) the following day for review and further follow-up as required.

Specific Injury Cases

Five individual cases of pellet and gunshot wounds emerged following the demonstration. Gurgaon resident Sheikh Irshad Mansoori sustained pellet injuries across his face, left eye, neck, shoulder, chin and chest. He received care at LHMC.

Sahil Lohchab from Najafgarh suffered pellet hits to his right eye. The impact caused corneal perforation and poses a high risk of permanent vision loss. He underwent treatment at AIIMS.

Ambedkar University student Prashant Singh took pellet impacts to his right arm, chest and inguinal region. Medical staff treated him at LHMC.

A young journalist working for Outlook magazine sustained at least 30 pellet injuries across his upper body. He received medical attention at Safdarjung Hospital. A female resident of the Gurgaon suburb suffered a "gunshot injury" to her right ear. Doctors treated her at Ram Manohar Lohiya Hospital.