CRPF Confirms RAF Used Pellet Guns During July 20 CJP Protest; Probe Launched

On July 20, a crowd gathered at Jantar Mantar to press for Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over the NEET paper‑leak saga. Amid the chanting and a few stone‑throwing skirmishes, members of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) reportedly brandished a specialised shotgun that fires a spray of tiny metal pellets.

According to multiple eyewitnesses and hospital records, three protesters – a 25‑year‑old office worker from Gurugram, a 19‑year‑old Delhi University student and a 28‑year‑old Outlook journalist – were hit and later treated for pellet‑gun injuries. The same incident saw an RAF officer discharge seven rounds; five struck people, while the remaining two fell harmlessly to the ground.

Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Director‑General G.P. Singh confirmed that the force is now probing the circumstances that led to the use of the weapons. The inquiry will check whether the RAF personnel adhered to the prescribed standard operating procedure (SOP) that governs crowd‑control measures, and whether the escalation was justified.

Sources say the pellet‑gun fire followed a brief bout in which protesters hurled stones at security personnel near Connaught Place. While the force maintains that the weapon was deployed as a last resort, critics argue that the blast of metal pellets can cause serious, sometimes permanent, harm.

The CRPF, which oversees the RAF, has pledged to release an official statement within the next couple of days. Meanwhile, the incident has reignited a broader debate about the appropriateness of pellet guns in civilian protests and the need for clearer guidelines.

As the investigation unfolds, families of the injured, activist groups, and political leaders are all watching closely, hoping for transparency and accountability.