FIR Registered in Pellet Gun Case After Rahul Gandhi's Sit-In Over Student's Pellet Injuries

Delhi Police has registered an FIR over injuries allegedly suffered by 19-year-old student protester Sahil Lochab during a July 20 march on Parliament, following Rahul Gandhi's sit in protest in Delhi.

FIR Filed After Rahul Gandhi's Protest

The FIR was registered after Gandhi, accompanied by Lochab, staged a sit-in demanding that police formally register a case over the student's alleged injuries.

The Congress leader had said he would remain outside the police station until an FIR was registered, turning the demand into a high-profile confrontation between the Opposition and the Delhi Police.

Police have collected Lochab's medical report and other related documents, with the FIR based on his complaint, according to sources cited by NDTV.

Student Allegedly Injured During July Protest

Lochab has alleged that police used a pellet gun against him while he was protesting at Jantar Mantar on July 20. Gandhi has claimed that the injuries put the student's vision in one eye at risk.

During the sit-in, Gandhi displayed pellets that he said had been removed from Lochab's body. He also referred to medical reports from Lady Hardinge Medical College and AIIMS, which he said recorded more than 200 pellets lodged in the student's body, including three in his eye.

The Delhi Police, however, has denied using pellet guns against the student protesters.

Security Forces Under Scrutiny

The controversy has also drawn attention to the deployment of the Rapid Action Force, the riot-control wing of the Central Reserve Police Force, at Jantar Mantar during the protests.

Pellet guns are part of the equipment used by riot-control forces, although the CRPF has not publicly confirmed their use during the Delhi protests, according to the report.

The Delhi Police had earlier told Gandhi that the Supreme Court had constituted a High-Powered Expert Committee to examine allegations of excessive and disproportionate use of force during the student protests.

The newly registered FIR is expected to set the stage for a formal investigation into the circumstances surrounding Lochab's injuries and the allegations of pellet-gun use.