Delhi Police Registers FIR on Pellet Gun Complaint After Rahul Gandhi’s Protest Outside Police Station

New Delhi: The Delhi Police has registered an FIR on a complaint alleging the use of pellet guns during the July 20 protests in Delhi, sources said on Friday, bringing a fresh turn to the controversy that had led Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to stage a sit-in outside the Parliament Street Police Station.

The complaint was filed by Sahil Lochav, who has alleged that he was injured in pellet gun firing during the protests. Lochav had earlier said that despite submitting a detailed complaint, an FIR had not been registered. The police had been examining the complaint to determine whether a fresh case could be registered in view of the Supreme Court's directions on the matter.

Why Was Rahul Gandhi At The Police Station?

Rahul Gandhi reached the Parliament Street Police Station and joined Lochav in demanding registration of an FIR. Congress leaders and workers also gathered outside the police station in support of the demand.

Gandhi alleged that pellet guns were used in Connaught Place on July 20 and pointed to Lochav's medical reports as evidence of the injuries.

"Pellet gun was used at Connaught Place on 20th July. AIIMS report clearly says that there are more than 200 shells inside his body and 3 in his eye. He has lost vision in that eye. There are shells near his heart that cannot be touched. Delhi Police say they did not fire pellet guns. So, there is just one question: someone must have done it...A crime has indeed happened," he said.

"We are demanding that an FIR be registered. They told us that they have received order from the top and they cannot file an FIR. We won't budge from here until an FIR is registered...All we demand is justice for this family...In this country, Amit Shah's Home Ministry and Delhi Police personnel won't let justice happen," he added.

Lochav, speaking outside the police station, said he was still awaiting recovery of his eyesight following the alleged firing.

"On 20th July, pellet guns were fired at me. I was admitted to Lady Hardinge, from there, I was referred to AIIMS. I underwent surgery at AIIMS. But the vision in my eye is still not clear. On 14th August, I wrote a 7-page complaint and gave to my lawyer...But the FIR has not been registered," he said.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said the party's demand was limited to registration of the case and issuance of an FIR number.

"Our demand is simple - register an FIR and give us the FIR number. Sahil has made a genuine demand that an FIR should be registered. LoP Rahul Gandhi is giving voice to this demand. Sahil has demanded an FIR on the illegal action of using a pellet gun by the police. Rahul ji is clear that until a new FIR is registered, we will not leave from here (Parliament Street PS). What we are doing is as per the Constitution," he added.

What Has The Supreme Court Ordered?

The FIR comes as the Supreme Court has already launched a separate fact-finding investigation into the larger July 20 rallies and claims of excess by both police and protestors. On Thursday, the Supreme Court established a five-member High-Powered Expert Committee, led by retired Supreme Court Justice R Subhash Reddy. The panel will investigate accusations about police behavior and brutality during the demonstrations.

The group also includes former Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Ravi Shankar Jha, former Delhi High Court Justice Shalinder Kaur, former CBI Director Rishi Kumar Shukla, and former DGP of Meghalaya, LR Bishnoi.

A bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, together with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, stated that the committee would investigate complaints filed by both demonstrators and police officers.

The Supreme Court has particularly directed the panel to prioritize charges of excessive use of force, violence by protestors, and harassment and molestation of female protesters.

The committee has also been authorized to evaluate whether interim compensation should be offered to individuals injured during the protests, including police officers and protestors. Its work will not be limited to a single probe, since the court has directed it to deliver interim findings on a regular basis.

The court also ordered that CCTV footage from the protests and body-camera recordings of police and security workers, which had previously been ordered to be retained, be made available to the committee.

At the same time, the Supreme Court said unequivocally that the committee's existence would not preclude the police or other security services from pursuing departmental or disciplinary action against officers found to have broken norms.

"The constitution of the HPEC by us shall in no way deter or debar the Police authorities or other security forces from taking administrative or disciplinary action," the order stated.

BJP Attacks Rahul Gandhi Over Sit-In

The Congress protest drew a sharp response from Union Minister JP Nadda, who accused Rahul Gandhi of using the issue for political publicity.

Nadda said the Supreme Court had already taken cognisance of the July 20 incident and questioned the purpose of Gandhi's protest while a court-appointed committee was examining the matter.

"The entire nation is once again witnessing the kind of cheap, attention-seeking politics that Rahul Gandhi displayed today outside the Sansad Marg police station. Rahul Gandhi's sit-in protest today is neither for the students nor for the sake of justice; it is a symbol of the Congress party's political desperation and Rahul Gandhi's hunger for media attention," he said.

"The whole country knows that the Supreme Court has already taken cognisance of the July 20th incident and has constituted a five-member high-powered committee headed by a former judge. When the country's apex court is investigating the matter, what does Rahul Gandhi hope to prove by sitting in front of cameras outside the police station? Does the Leader of the Opposition lack faith in the country's judiciary? The truth is that Rahul Gandhi is staging this 'camera-centric' drama merely to keep himself in the headlines," he added.

Nadda also linked the Congress protest to the ongoing political controversy over Vande Mataram. He alleged that the party was trying to shift public attention away from criticism it was facing over the national song.

"If we consider the timing of this entire drama, we realize that the Congress party is currently facing intense criticism across the nation over the issue of 'Vande Mataram'. The public is demanding answers from the Congress regarding the disrespect shown to the national song, especially as a senior Congress leader was seen cutting a cake designed to look like the Tricolour," he said.

"To conceal this anti-national face of his and to divert attention from the massive embarrassment he has faced, Rahul Gandhi has hastily orchestrated this new drama as a distraction," he added.