Guwahati: Amnesty International, a human rights organization, has confirmed that Indian security forces used pellet-firing shotguns, tear gas grenades, batons and electric shock devices against demonstrators during the Gen Z-led protests in New Delhi on July 20.

The rights organisation said its investigation, based on video and photographic evidence, witness accounts and other material reviewed by its Evidence Lab, found that security personnel used weapons and crowd-control tactics that breached international standards as well as domestic policing guidelines.

Thousands of protesters had gathered in the national capital to demand the resignation of then-Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities and paper leaks in national examinations. More than 100 students were reportedly injured during the police and paramilitary crackdown.

Medical records reviewed by Indian media indicated that several protesters suffered pellet-related injuries. Amnesty said it independently verified two videos showing a Rapid Action Force personnel firing a shotgun towards a crowd near Connaught Place and Parliament Street.

The organisation said at least two protesters suffered injuries consistent with birdshot wounds. Amnesty noted that birdshot, which disperses multiple small metal pellets, is not designed for law enforcement because of the difficulty of controlling its spread and the risk of serious injuries to protesters and bystanders.

According to Amnesty, security personnel did not issue a public warning before using pellet-firing weapons, despite guidelines issued by India’s Bureau for Police Research and Development recommending such warnings.

Delhi Police had previously rejected reports of pellet injuries during the protests as false and misleading and warned that legal action could be taken against those spreading what it described as rumours. However, Amnesty said its findings directly contradicted the police account.

The rights group also pointed to an internal inquiry by paramilitary forces that reportedly found personnel had fired at least seven rounds containing metal pellets.

Amnesty further alleged that security forces used tear gas grenades in several locations and that some shells were fired directly towards protesters rather than launched at an angle above the crowd. The organisation said such use was inconsistent with United Nations guidance on less-lethal weapons.

The investigation also documented the use of lathis, or batons, against protesters. Amnesty said videos showed individuals in civilian clothes beating demonstrators while uniformed personnel nearby did not intervene. It also noted that some officers were not wearing the identification badges required under policing rules.

The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture has described lathis as inherently cruel, inhuman or degrading weapons, noting that they can deliver greater kinetic force than conventional batons, causing excessive pain and increasing the risk of serious injury. The UN expert has called for their use to be prohibited, a position also supported by Amnesty International.

The findings have intensified criticism from opposition parties, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi demanding accountability from Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the alleged use of excessive force.

Gandhi also joined a protest outside the Delhi Police chief’s office after authorities allegedly refused to register a complaint filed by 19-year-old student Sahil Lochab, who suffered pellet injuries during the crackdown.

Lochab, a Delhi University student, said he sustained pellet wounds to his chest, back, arms and face and that doctors were unable to remove several pellets. He claimed in his complaint that medical records showed more than 200 pellets remained in his body and that doctors had given him less than a one per cent chance of recovering vision in one eye.

Amnesty International India said the response to the protests amounted to an excessive use of force and called for accountability over the actions of security personnel.