New Delhi : The Supreme Court on Thursday heard a petition challenging the alleged use of metallic pellet guns by police during the CJP protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi issued notice to the Centre and sought its response on the rules and SOP governing the use of pellet guns by security personnel.
Senior advocate Vrinda Grover argued that the weapons allegedly used against protesters fired “kinetic metallic projectiles”, distinguishing them from rubber and plastic pellets. “There can be rubber, plastic and metallic pellets. These were metallic and recovered from the bodies. Nature of the crowd will determine use of this as well. Was it a violent mob? No. These metallic pellets were fired,” Grover submitted, maintaining that the protesters did not constitute a violent mob.
Justice Bagchi, however, pointed out that the existing police rules already provide for the use of pellet guns under limited circumstances. “But police rules allow the use in exceptional circumstances unless you challenge the rules themselves. One of the steps of graded approach is use of pellet guns,” he observed. The bench said it was open to examining whether the deployment of pellet guns was justified in the particular case. Chief Justice Surya Kant suggested that instead of seeking a blanket prohibition, the petitioners could ask the court to establish clear guidelines governing the use of pellet guns.
“We are in agreement with your prayer for no violence principle on persons expressing dissatisfaction or protesting. But graded response may be required in some cases,” he said. He also observed that equipping police personnel appropriately could provide them with greater confidence while responding to potentially violent situations. The bench further directed the Delhi government to provide medical treatment to protesters who sustained injuries allegedly caused by pellet guns during the CJP agitation.
The petition stems from violence that broke out during the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) ‘Chalo Sansad’ march on July 20 over the NEET-UG paper leak controversy. Clashes were reported between protesters and security personnel at several locations around Jantar Mantar, resulting in injuries to both demonstrators and police personnel. The security operation subsequently sparked a political controversy following allegations that plastic pellets had been fired and that several protesters had sustained serious injuries.
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