New Delhi: The Supreme Court has sought a response from the Centre over the use of pellet guns during the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) ‘Chalo Sansad’ protest march at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on July 20. The court asked the government to submit the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) governing the use of pellet guns and other crowd-control measures after a plea challenged the police action during the demonstration.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was hearing a petition challenging the use of metallic pellet guns during the protest. The petitioners argued that such weapons were used against protesters and questioned whether their deployment was permitted under existing guidelines.

Court seeks rules on pellet gun use

During the hearing, the Supreme Court asked authorities to place on record the rules and guidelines that govern the use of pellet guns during crowd control situations.

Justice Joymalya Bagchi observed that police rules allow the use of such measures only in "exceptional circumstances" and said the court would examine whether the action followed the prescribed graded response system.

The court also said it was open to examining the use of pellet guns in an individual case and suggested that broader guidelines on their use could also be considered.

Petitioners question use of metallic pellets

Senior advocate Vrinda Grover, appearing for the petitioners, argued that the pellets used during the protest were metallic projectiles and not rubber or plastic alternatives.

She told the court that the issue was not about pellet guns in general but specifically about the use of metallic pellets against protesters.

The petitioners argued that the police action required judicial scrutiny and questioned whether such force was justified during the demonstration.

The Supreme Court has also directed the Delhi government to ensure the best possible medical treatment for people who suffered pellet injuries during the NEET-UG paper leak protest. The court was hearing a plea challenging the use of metallic pellet guns during law and order situations and questioned the demand for a complete ban on their use. The bench observed that the issue required examination of existing rules and guidelines governing the use of such crowd-control measures.

What happened during the Jantar Mantar protest?

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) had organised the ‘Chalo Sansad’ march on July 20 during its protest over the NEET-UG paper leak controversy.

The demonstration witnessed clashes between protesters and security personnel, with police reporting injuries among both protesters and officers.

According to official records, the Rapid Action Force used several crowd-control measures, including tear smoke grenades, anti-riot gun rounds and plastic pellet rounds, while dispersing the crowd.

The Supreme Court has now asked the Centre and authorities to provide details of the SOP and standing orders governing the use of force during protests.

The matter will be examined further after the government submits its response on the guidelines and procedures followed by security forces during crowd-control operations.