Delhi Police To Register FIR Over Alleged Pellet Gun Injury After Rahul Gandhi’s Protest

The Delhi Police was set to register an FIR on Friday following a complaint alleging that a student suffered pellet gun injuries during the July 20 protest at Jantar Mantar. The development came hours after Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi staged a dharna outside the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police at Parliament Street Police Station, demanding action on the student's complaint.

The Congress had alleged that the police initially refused to register the case despite the student submitting a written complaint.

Rahul Gandhi stages dharna at police station

Gandhi reached the Parliament Street Police Station along with the student and demanded that an FIR be registered.

The Congress said the student had approached the police with lawyers on August 14 and submitted a written complaint alleging that he had sustained pellet injuries during the July 20 protest.

According to the party, the complaint was followed up through email and phone calls on August 17, but no action was taken. The Congress also alleged that the student was not given an acknowledgement or an investigation officer's number.

“Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition, is on a dharna outside the DCP office, New Delhi, alleging that ‘Delhi Police refused to file FIR in the Pellet gun victim case’,” the Congress said in a post on X.

The police action followed the protest, with the Congress saying the complaint had subsequently been converted into an FIR.

There was no immediate detailed response from the Delhi Police to the Congress's allegations or an explanation of the circumstances surrounding the registration of the case.

What is the pellet gun allegation?

The alleged use of pellet guns during the July 20 Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led protest has emerged as one of the key controversies surrounding the police response to the demonstration.

The Congress and CJP have alleged that protesters were injured by pellet guns and other crowd-control measures. However, there has been no official confirmation that pellet guns were fired at protesters.

A daily diary entry at the Parliament Street Police Station, however, recorded the use of anti-riot guns and plastic pellets by personnel of the Rapid Action Force during the protest, according to a report by Hindustan Times.

The entry reportedly stated that RAF personnel fired two rounds from anti-riot guns and used two rounds of plastic pellets while attempting to control the crowd.

The allegations have led to demands for an independent investigation into the police response, including the alleged use of pellets, lathis, tear gas and other crowd-control equipment.

Supreme Court panel to examine police action

The controversy comes days after the Supreme Court constituted a five-member high-powered inquiry committee to examine allegations of police excesses during the protests.

The committee, headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice R Subhash Reddy, will examine allegations concerning the use of pellet guns, electric batons, lathi charges, tear gas and other crowd-control measures.

The panel is also expected to examine other allegations raised by protesters regarding the conduct of security personnel during the July 20 demonstration.

The Supreme Court's intervention means the alleged pellet injury and the Delhi Police's handling of the student's complaint are likely to form part of the wider scrutiny of the police response to the protests.