RAF to probe claims about use of excess force, pellet gun during Delhi protests

The Rapid Action Force (RAF) has initiated a verification exercise into allegations that its personnel used disproportionate force, including firing pellet guns, during the ongoing student protests in Delhi, officials said on Friday. The move comes amid growing scrutiny over the force's handling of demonstrators during the July 20 'Chalo Sansad' march organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) over the alleged NEET paper leak.

The development comes a day after an exclusive report by India Today Digital and several other outlets stated that several protesters sustained pellet gun injuries during the July 20 march, citing testimonies from the injured and medical records.

The reports described them as a rare instance of pellet guns being used during a protest in the national capital, even as Delhi Police denied using the ammunition and maintained that it neither possesses nor deploys pellet guns for crowd control.

CRPF TO RECONSTRUCT SEQUENCE OF EVENTS

Officials told that the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), under which the RAF functions, has directed the RAF Inspector General to reconstruct the sequence of events during the operation.

The verification will examine both the force's actions to control the protesters and incidents in which RAF personnel were allegedly attacked.

CRPF officials clarified that a formal Court of Inquiry (CoI) has not yet been ordered. They said the ongoing verification would first establish the facts, following which a decision would be taken on whether a formal inquiry is warranted.

Students launched the 'Chalo Sansad' march from Jantar Mantar on July 20 under the banner of the CJP, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged NEET paper leak.

The march later turned violent, with clashes breaking out between protesters and security personnel.

RAF TO VERIFY MULTIPLE VIDEOS, PHOTOS

According to officials, the RAF has taken cognisance of multiple videos and photographs circulating on social media showing personnel in the force's distinctive blue camouflage uniform.

The footage purportedly shows RAF personnel wielding batons and firearms during crowd-control operations, alongside videos in which jawans appear to be surrounded and attacked by protesters.

A senior CRPF officer said all legal procedures prescribed for examining the conduct of personnel during operational deployments would be followed.

Officials also confirmed that the RAF is equipped with 12-bore pump-action guns, commonly referred to as pellet guns, as part of its riot-control equipment.

Under the standard operating procedure (SOP), these weapons may be used only in extreme situations involving grave danger to personnel.

The SOP further mandates that the guns be fitted with a deflector so that metal or rubber pellets strike only the lower half of the body and minimise injuries.

The verification exercise is also examining videos purportedly showing stranded RAF personnel being assaulted by protesters, footage of an RAF jawan apparently tripping a running demonstrator, and another clip in which a stun gun is claimed to have been used against a protester.