Delhi Police authorised pellet gun use against protestors on July 20: RAF general diary entry

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The Hindu reported on July 21 about two people, who were hit by pellets allegedly fired by RAF personnel, being operated upon at government hospitals. (Screengrab) | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Days after the Delhi Police denied the usage of pellet guns during the July 20 march to Parliament — in which at least four persons reported being hit with pellets — a general diary entry filed at Parliament Street police station reveals that the Rapid Action Force (RAF) did fire two rounds from an anti-riot gun on the directions of a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) rank officer.

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The Hindu has accessed the general diary entry, which was registered by the RAF at 1:24 a.m. on July 22. This was the first time that a pellet gun was used against unarmed protestors in the national capital.

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Following the July 20 incident, the RAF withdrew shock batons, electric shields, pump-action guns, and the anti-riot guns, which fire pellets, from personnel deployed at Jantar Mantar. A review by an RAF Inpsector General also highlighted “serious deficiencies” in RAF behaviour during the march, in violation of its principle of “sensitive policing”.

The diary entry says that, to control the crowd during the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest, “on the orders of Zone-1, DCP, Jantar Mantar,” the RAF Deputy Commandant fired “55 rounds of non-electrical shell, 15 rounds of electrical shell, five tear smoke granite, two rounds using ballistic cartridges with plastic pellets from an anti-riot gun.” The RAF, which is the anti-riot unit of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), was deployed and was under the operational control of the Delhi Police at the time of the incident.

The diary entry was made hours after The Hindu reported on July 21 that two people allegedly hit by pellets fired by RAF personnel had undergone surgery at government hospitals.