Guwahati: A police diary entry has revealed that the Rapid Action Force (RAF) used an Anti-Riot Gun (ARG) to fire two rounds of plastic pellets at protesters during the Cockroach Janata Party’s (CJP) ‘Sansad Chalo’ march in Delhi on July 20, contradicting the Delhi Police’s earlier claim that no pellet guns were used.
According to the records, the firing was carried out on the instructions of a Delhi Police Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) who had been deployed for law and order duties, despite not being posted in the New Delhi district where the protest took place. Police sources said the RAF Deputy Commander was leading the unit that fired the pellets and that it was the only instance during the protest where an anti-riot gun was used.
The diary entry at Parliament Street police station states that security personnel used 55 non-electrical shells, 15 electrical shells, five tear smoke grenades, two Anti-Riot Guns (ARGs), two ballistic cartridges, and two plastic pellet rounds to disperse protesters.
The diary further records that the RAF Deputy Commander reported to the police station after performing duty in Zone-1 (Jantar Mantar) alongside the DCP in accordance with deployment orders.
The disclosure comes after Delhi Police had publicly denied using pellet guns during the July 20 protest.
An internal review by the RAF also reportedly found that the use of plastic pellets was limited to a single location at Connaught Place, where two rounds were fired on the orders of the DCP overseeing crowd control.
Following the incident, RAF Director General Seema Dhundia reportedly reprimanded officers over the use of disproportionate force during the protest. During a review meeting, she criticised incidents of excessive force, including allegations that personnel deliberately knocked down protesters and assaulted individuals who had already disengaged from the agitation.
She also instructed RAF personnel that force must be used in a graded and proportionate manner. In addition, the RAF headquarters has reportedly prohibited the future use of Projectile Attack Guns (PAGs), electrical weapons, and electrical shields during deployments in the national capital.
The revelations have surfaced while the Supreme Court is hearing a batch of petitions alleging excessive use of force by security personnel during the crackdown on protesters in Delhi.