started · updated
Supreme Court Orders Treatment for Delhi Pellet‑Gun Protest Victims, Examines Ban Request
The Supreme Court of India, in a bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, directed the Delhi government to provide medical treatment to protesters injured by pellet guns during the July 20 Jantar Mantar demonstration. The petition, filed by former Intelligence Bureau special director Yashovardhan Azad together with two injured demonstrators – Prashant Kumar Singh and Sheikh Irshad Mansoori – sought a blanket ban on metallic pellet guns used for crowd dispersal. The Court described the ban request as vague because it did not challenge the police regulations that permit pellet‑gun use in exceptional circumstances under the Bureau of Police Research and Development advisory. It ordered the Centre to preserve the ammunition log of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) deployed at the protest and instructed Delhi police to place its standing order on the graded use‑of‑force framework on record. The judges suggested that petitioners focus on establishing a protocol for pellet‑gun deployment rather than seeking an outright prohibition. Separate government documents revealed that facial‑recognition vans identified 2,873 persons with criminal records among the protest participants, and the Delhi administration later closed the NEET‑related protest cases, excluding relief for individuals with criminal antecedents.
Entities
Central Reserve Police Force · Chief Justice Surya Kant · Delhi Police · Gyanendra Pratap Singh · Jantar Mantar · Justice Joymalya Bagchi · Prashant Kumar Singh · Rahul Gandhi · Rapid Action Force · Supreme Court of India · Yashovardhan Azad
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 2 SOURCES] A public‑interest litigation was filed in the Supreme Court by Yashovardhan Azad, Prashant Kumar Singh and Sheikh Ishaad Mansoori seeking a ban on pellet guns for crowd control.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The Ministry of Home Affairs' 2011 Standard Operating Procedure did not recommend metallic pellet guns for crowd control.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The United Nations' 2020 guidance advises against the use of less‑lethal weapons like pellet guns.
- [● 2 SOURCES] The petition seeks compensation, comprehensive medical treatment and rehabilitation for the injured protesters.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Pellet guns can cause severe injuries, including loss of eyesight, and are considered indiscriminate and unsuitable for crowd control. www.news9live.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Approximately 6,500 people were injured by pellet guns in past incidents in Jammu & Kashmir. www.news9live.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] Police used pellet guns on demonstrators during the July 20, 2026 protest in Delhi.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Experts argue that pellet guns should be used only as a last resort and are disproportionate compared with other crowd‑control measures. www.news9live.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] The Supreme Court directed the Delhi government to provide medical treatment to protestors injured by pellet guns during the July 20 demonstration. www.barandbench.com · www.newsbytesapp.com · pragativadi.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] The petition sought a ban on the use of pellet guns and metallic kinetic projectiles for civilian crowd dispersal. www.barandbench.com · www.livelaw.in · pragativadi.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] The petition was filed by former Intelligence Bureau Special Director Yashovardhan Azad. www.barandbench.com · www.livelaw.in · pragativadi.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The Court described the plea to ban pellet guns as vague without challenging the police regulations. www.livelaw.in