The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has launched an internal verification after allegations emerged that pellet guns were used during a student protest in Delhi, leaving several demonstrators injured. The development has sparked a political controversy after a medical report reportedly indicated the presence of pellet-like fragments in at least one injured protester, contradicting the Delhi Police’s denial that such weapons were used.
The protests, led by members of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and student groups, turned violent earlier this week when demonstrators clashed with security personnel during a march towards Parliament. Police used barricades, water cannons and other crowd-control measures to stop protesters from advancing, leading to injuries on both sides.
Soon after the clashes, social media posts and eyewitness accounts claimed that security forces had fired pellet guns to disperse the crowd. The allegations gained momentum after one of the injured protesters was admitted to Safdarjung Hospital, where doctors reportedly found multiple small metallic fragments embedded in the skin.
According to the hospital’s medical observations, imaging scans revealed several tiny foreign bodies consistent with pellet-like objects. Doctors removed some of the fragments and advised further examination. The findings quickly became the centre of the controversy, with opposition leaders and protest organisers questioning the police’s version of events.
However, the Delhi Police strongly denied using pellet guns during the protest. Officials said personnel deployed for law-and-order duty were equipped only with standard crowd-control gear, including lathis, tear smoke shells and water cannons. They insisted that no pellet-firing weapons were issued or used during the operation.
Following the conflicting claims, the CRPF, whose personnel were also deployed alongside Delhi Police, said it has initiated a verification process to ascertain the facts. The force stated that it is examining operational records, equipment logs and reports from personnel on duty to determine whether any pellet-firing weapon was used during the protest.
Officials said the verification is part of standard procedure whenever serious allegations arise regarding the use of force during public demonstrations. The CRPF has not commented on the hospital findings and said it would await the outcome of the internal inquiry before drawing any conclusions.
The controversy has intensified after the medical report became public. Protest organisers argued that the hospital findings support their allegation that excessive force was used against demonstrators. They have demanded an independent investigation and accountability if pellet guns were indeed deployed.
Meanwhile, police maintained that injuries sustained by protesters could have resulted from multiple causes during the chaotic clashes, including flying debris, stones or other objects thrown during the confrontation. Officials urged people not to jump to conclusions until the inquiry is completed.
The incident has also triggered a political debate, with opposition parties accusing the authorities of using disproportionate force against peaceful demonstrators. Several leaders have sought a judicial or independent probe into the incident, while the government has maintained that law enforcement agencies acted within established protocols to maintain public order.
Human rights groups have also called for transparency, stressing that allegations involving the use of pellet guns should be thoroughly investigated because of the serious injuries such weapons can cause. Pellet guns have long remained a contentious crowd-control tool in India, particularly because of concerns over eye injuries and permanent disabilities.
Security experts noted that crowd-control operations involve multiple agencies and require strict adherence to operational guidelines. They said a detailed inquiry, including examination of medical evidence, deployment records and available video footage, would be essential to establish the sequence of events.
The CRPF has said its verification process is underway and that all relevant operational records and reports are being examined. Authorities have not announced a timeline for completing the inquiry, and no official findings have been released so far.
The outcome of the verification is expected to clarify the circumstances surrounding the injuries reported during the protest. Until then, the conflicting claims by the protesters, the hospital findings and the police remain under scrutiny, with the incident continuing to draw attention from political parties, civil society groups and the public.
