Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday reached the Parliament Street Police Station in Delhi with 19-year-old pellet gun victim Sahil Lochab. He demanded that an FIR be registered over the alleged use of pellet guns during a student protest on July 20. Gandhi refused to leave the police station when the police did not register the FIR. He later sat on a dharna outside the station along with Lochab and his mother. Soon, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also joined the protest. The Congress said, “We stand for students. We stand for justice. We will not be silent. Dharna at DCP office till FIR is filed.”
Why Is Rahul Gandhi Demanding An FIR?
Rahul Gandhi has repeatedly raised the issue of alleged police action against students during the July 20 protest at Jantar Mantar. He has demanded to know who ordered the use of pellet guns against the protesters.
Gandhi said Sahil was “peacefully protesting at Jantar Mantar” when police allegedly attacked him with a pellet gun. He claimed the incident left Sahil’s “vision in one eye is now at risk”.
Last month, Gandhi had displayed the injuries suffered by the 19-year-old during a media briefing. Lochab later underwent surgery, during which doctors reportedly removed several metallic pellets from his eye.
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Congress Claims Police Refused To Register Case
The Congress has claimed that Sahil and his lawyers approached the police several times to register an FIR. According to the party, those attempts did not succeed. Gandhi has now stepped up the pressure by personally accompanying the victim to the police station.
The Delhi Police, however, pointed to a Supreme Court-appointed High-Powered Expert Committee (HPEC). The committee has been tasked with examining allegations of excessive and disproportionate use of force during the student protests. Despite this, Gandhi continued his protest and insisted that an FIR should be registered.
Rahul Gandhi Targets Amit Shah Over Pellet Gun Row
The Congress leader has also directly targeted Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the controversy. Gandhi has alleged that Shah authorised the use of lethal weapons against student protesters. He has challenged the Home Minister to address the issue in Parliament and clarify whether he ordered the use of pellet guns. On Friday, Gandhi intensified his attack.
“Amit Shah, why are you so scared of justice? This fear shows that you are admitting to your crime,” he said in a post on X. He further said, “The FIR will be filed. A judicial inquiry will take place. And action will be taken against everyone – from top to bottom – who is guilty of this brutality.”
Supreme Court Committee Examines Police Action
The controversy has also reached the Supreme Court. The top court has constituted an expert committee to examine allegations of excessive and disproportionate force by the police and paramilitary forces during the July 20 protest.
The pellet gun issue has also become a major political flashpoint. It was raised repeatedly during the Monsoon Session of Parliament, which saw disruptions over several issues.
The pellet guns shoot multiple metal pellets at once. These have been employed by the security forces to deal with crowds and have been criticised on the basis of their effect on civilians.
Rahul Gandhi’s new move of going on a dharna outside the police station along with Sahil Lochab means that yet another issue has been created regarding the July 20 protest.
Sudeep Singh Rawat is a Copy Editor at NewsX Digital with over five years of experience in digital journalism. He covers national and international news, with a focus on politics, crime, technology, public affairs, and trending topics. Before joining NewsX Digital, he worked with Business Standard, The Sunday Guardian, and other digital media organisations. His reporting focuses on breaking news, enterprise stories, and explainers that inform readers through accurate, balanced, and context-driven journalism.
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