Sahil Lochav, a victim of pellet gun injuries, stated on Friday that his First Information Report (FIR) might not have been registered if Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had not intervened in his case. Lochav described how Gandhi contacted him about his health and promptly committed to ensuring the FIR was filed.
“When I spoke to him recently, he (Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi) called to ask about my health, I mentioned that my FIR wasn’t being registered. He immediately said, ‘Let’s meet tomorrow; I will go and get your FIR filed.’ I want to thank him for helping me so much. This FIR is a first step towards justice. It took eight hours to register the FIR, and perhaps it wouldn’t have been registered at all if the LOP hadn’t supported me. I had been running around trying to get an FIR filed since August 14th,” Lochav told reporters.
Lochav recounted the injury he sustained on July 20 when pellet guns were fired at him. He was initially admitted to Lady Hardinge Hospital before being referred to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), where he underwent surgery. However, he said his vision remains unclear. On August 14, he submitted a detailed, seven-page complaint via his lawyer, but the FIR was not registered at that time.
Lochav’s lawyer outlined the difficulties encountered while attempting to file the FIR. The initial approach to Connaught Place police station on August 14 was met with a directive that all cases related to the Jantar Mantar incident had been transferred to the Parliament Street police station. Upon visiting Parliament Street, they were told the incident fell under Connaught Place jurisdiction and were advised to return.
“On 14th August we went to the Police Station in Connaught Place. They said that all Jantar Mantar cases have come to Parliament Street Police Station. We came here. They told us that the place of incident is Connaught Place area, so we should go there,” the lawyer explained. Upon returning to Connaught Place, their complaint was refused, and they were made to wait for an extended period. Attempts to submit the complaint directly to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) were also unsuccessful.
The lawyer further referenced Lochav’s medico-legal case (MLC) report from Lady Hardinge Hospital, which recorded punctured wounds and bleeding, emphasizing the injury’s seriousness. “This is a clear offense that has happened. We have an MLC copy of Lady Hardinge which says punctured wounds and blood oozing out,” he added.