Overview
- Security forces moved to disperse a Cockroach Janata Party march that sought to reach Parliament on Monday, July 20, and multiple protesters later presented with small, punched‑out wounds that hospitals and MLCs described as pellet injuries.
- At least three people — including a 19‑year‑old student and a journalist — have been treated in government hospitals with pellets removed or lodged in the face, chest and limbs, and a senior AIIMS official confirmed pellet wounds in one case.
- Medico‑legal case sheets seen by reporters explicitly record “pellet injury marks” and note incidents as “physical assault with pellet gun at Jantar Mantar,” making medical documentation central to the dispute over what force was used.
- Delhi Police has denied using pellet guns while the CRPF and its Rapid Action Force, which carry pellet shotguns in their riot kit, say they are verifying media reports and have ordered an internal inquiry.
- The episode has rapidly entered the courts and politics: the Delhi High Court has sought responses to PILs alleging excessive force, and opposition leaders publicly displayed injured protesters and demanded accountability and ministerial action.