By AALIMI NATION | National Affairs Desk
NEW DELHI: Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday staged a sit-in outside a senior Delhi Police officer’s office alongside student protester Sahil Lochab, demanding registration of an FIR over an alleged pellet-gun injury sustained during a protest in the national capital.
According to reports, Gandhi entered the police station with Lochab and sought registration of a case concerning the alleged use of a pellet gun against students during a protest at Jantar Mantar on July 20.
When police did not register an FIR, Gandhi and Lochab sat outside the office in protest. Congress later said Gandhi would remain there until an FIR was registered.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra subsequently joined the protest.
Rahul Gandhi Demands Accountability
Gandhi has repeatedly questioned who authorised the alleged use of pellet guns during the student demonstration.
During Friday’s protest, he displayed pellets that he said had been removed from Lochab’s body and alleged that the student had suffered serious injuries.
Gandhi also said that Lochab’s vision in one eye was at risk following the alleged incident.
The Congress leader had earlier written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, seeking accountability over what he described as the use of excessive force against peacefully protesting students.
Delhi Police Rejects Pellet-Gun Allegation
The Delhi Police has denied that pellet guns were used against student protesters.
Police also informed Gandhi that the Supreme Court has constituted a five-member High-Powered Expert Committee to examine allegations concerning excessive and disproportionate use of force by police and paramilitary personnel during the student protests.
The existence of a Supreme Court-appointed inquiry means that allegations regarding the use of force are now subject to examination through an independent judicial process.
The precise circumstances surrounding Lochab’s injuries, including the source of the pellets he says are lodged in his body, remain a matter of dispute.
Who Is Sahil Lochab?
Sahil Lochab, a 19-year-old student, has previously appeared alongside Rahul Gandhi during public statements about the July 20 protest.
Gandhi has alleged that Lochab was struck by a pellet gun while participating peacefully in the demonstration.
The Congress leader has used Lochab’s case to demand greater accountability over the conduct of security personnel during the protests.
However, the allegations have been disputed by the Delhi Police, which has denied the use of pellet guns.
What Happened on July 20?
The confrontation relates to a student protest at Jantar Mantar during the Monsoon Session of Parliament.
The demonstration was linked to demands surrounding the NEET examination controversy and calls for accountability from the Union Education Ministry.
According to the account cited by NDTV, Gandhi has maintained that students were peacefully protesting when security personnel allegedly used pellet guns against them.
The police, however, have rejected that allegation.
Why the Dispute Matters
The controversy has developed into a wider political confrontation over the use of force during protests and the accountability of security personnel.
For the Congress, the issue has become a question of student rights, police accountability and access to justice.
For the authorities, the central issue is whether allegations of excessive force are supported by evidence and whether the actions of security personnel complied with established procedures.
The Supreme Court-appointed committee is therefore likely to be important in establishing the facts.
A Political Protest Becomes a Legal Demand
Rahul Gandhi’s decision to sit outside the police office marks an escalation in the Congress campaign over the issue.
Rather than limiting the matter to political statements, Gandhi has sought to force attention on the specific demand for an FIR.
The police response, meanwhile, points to the ongoing Supreme Court-supervised examination of allegations concerning the conduct of security forces.
The dispute now centres on a straightforward but consequential question:
Were pellet guns actually used against student protesters, and if so, who authorised their use?
The Larger Question of Protest and Policing
The controversy comes amid a broader national debate over how law-enforcement agencies should respond to large demonstrations.
Authorities have a responsibility to maintain public order, while protesters have legal and constitutional rights that must also be respected.
The challenge for any democratic system is to maintain that balance without allowing either public disorder or excessive use of force to undermine public confidence.
In the present case, the facts surrounding the alleged pellet-gun injuries remain contested.
That makes the outcome of the expert committee’s examination particularly important.
What Happens Next?
The immediate issue is whether an FIR will ultimately be registered and what findings emerge from the Supreme Court-appointed committee.
If the committee establishes that excessive or disproportionate force was used, questions of accountability could follow.
If the allegations are not substantiated, that would also have significant implications for the political claims being made around the incident.
Until then, the most responsible approach is to distinguish clearly between allegations, official denials and independently established facts.
Key Points
Rahul Gandhi staged a sit-in outside a senior Delhi Police officer’s office.
He was accompanied by student protester Sahil Lochab.
Gandhi demanded an FIR over Lochab’s alleged pellet-gun injuries.
Delhi Police has denied that pellet guns were used against the protesters.
Gandhi has alleged that Lochab suffered serious injuries and that pellets remain lodged in his body.
A Supreme Court-appointed High-Powered Expert Committee is examining allegations of excessive and disproportionate use of force during the student protests.
The exact circumstances surrounding the alleged pellet injuries remain disputed.
AALIMI NATION | National Affairs Desk
Source Credit:
Inputs: NDTV | Additional reporting and editorial presentation: AALIMI NATION
