New Delhi: A day after the Supreme Court ordered the setting up of a panel to probe the violence during the “Sansad Chalo” march on July 20, Congress MP and Leader of Opposition (LOP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, staged a dharna outside the Parliament Street Police Station on Friday with a student who allegedly suffered pellet injuries on that day.
The student, Sahil Lochab (19), has alleged that the police were refusing to register an FIR in the case.
Rahul walked into the police station with Lochab and others, taking the officials by surprise. As the policemen refused to register an FIR, Gandhi staged a sit-in outside the police station in protest. He would stay put at the police station until an FIR was formally registered, the MP said.
There was chaos after several Congress leaders, including MPs Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Jairam Ramesh and Kumari Selja, accompanied by party workers forced their way into the police station to join Rahul in his protest, India Today reported.
The Delhi Police, however, said the complaint of the victim was accepted and pointed out that the Crime Branch was already investigating all the cases registered on July 20. An investigating officer (IO) has also been assigned. “The complainant has been told that his complaint too will be sent to the Crime Branch,” the police said.
The Congress has been claiming that pellet guns were used by Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel during the agitation. While the Delhi Police has said that it does not have such weapons in its arsenal, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) – the RAF’s parent organisation – has not issued any official statement.
Medical reports have revealed pellet injuries on some protesters. An RTI application filed by TMC leader Saket Gokhale revealed that the incident left at least 10 people with pellet injuries.
Violence erupted on that day after the police attempted to stop thousands of protesters from marching towards Parliament, seeking the resignation of former Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan for the NEET UG 2026 paper leak.
On Friday, Rahul first went to the Connaught Place Police Station with Lochab, where he was told that New Delhi DCP Sachin Sharma was at Parliament Street Police Station. The Congress leader then went there and sought an update on the investigation.
Rahul, in a media briefing last month, showed the injuries suffered by the 19-year-old. He claimed Lochab underwent surgery during which doctors reportedly removed multiple metallic pellets from his eye. On Friday, the LOP said that the student is at risk of losing vision in one eye.
Lochab had repeatedly approached the police, along with his lawyers, to register an FIR over the alleged use of pellet guns against him during the protest, the Congress claimed. However, no FIR was registered, the party claimed.
Rahul also claimed that police officials said that they have been instructed not to register FIRs in this matter.
He has directly held Union home minister Amit Shah responsible for the use of excessive force, including pellet guns, against student protesters.
Shah authorised the use of lethal weapons during the protests, the Congress MP alleged. He also dared him to speak in Parliament on the issue and clarify if he ordered the use of pellet guns or not.
“Amit Shahji, why are you so scared of justice? This fear shows that you are admitting to your crime,” Rahul posted on X on Friday.
“The FIR will be filed. A judicial inquiry will take place. And action will be taken against everyone – from top to bottom – who is guilty of this brutality,” he further said.