Why are pellet guns used as a ‘non-lethal’ crowd-control measure? | Explained
The story so far: At least one of the 80 protesters injured in police action during the Monday (July 20, 2026) march to Parliament called
The story so far: At least one of the 80 protesters injured in police action during the Monday (July 20, 2026) march to Parliament called by Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) sustained pellet gun injuries. The victim identified as Shaikh Irshad Mansoori (25), a resident of Gurugram, underwent surgery at a government hospital to remove the pellets lodged under his eye. Most pellets were lodged in the upper part his body. Another video of a woman being stunned by a “shock baton,” also emerged on Tuesday (July 21, 2026). The usage of pellet guns and shock batons against civilian protesters, appear to be the first in Delhi. What are pellet guns? They are a form of non-lethal crowd-control method used by police and military worldwide. The other popular measures are tear gas, water cannon, pepper spray, taser guns among others. Pellet guns are also popular in hunting and pest control. Intended to immobilise an individual, they fare effective over short ranges up to 500 yards but when fired from close quarters can be lethal, particularly when sensitive parts like eyes are hit. The pellets can penetrate soft tissues. There are standing instructions to open minimal fire at protesters and if necessary “below their waist.” A cartridge of a pellet gun contains few hundred pellets made of lead and disperses few hundred metres when fired.
Pellets can be of various shapes either like ball bearings or irregular. When fired, the cartridge disperses few hundred pellets over few hundred metres depending on the type. They are manufactured at the Ordinance Factory, Ishapore. How could pellet guns be used during July 20 protest in Delhi? While Delhi Police has denied its use against protesters, pellets guns and shock batons are part of the gear of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) —the anti-riot unit under CRPF— which was deployed alongside police personnel on July 20 and continues to be deployed near the Jantar Mantar protest site. On Monday (July 20, 2026), the victim Shaikh Irshad Mansoori was hit near Palika Bazaar by a RAF official. His friend said that there are around 30-40 injuries on his face and all over his body. Four of them, including one in the neck, penetrated deeply, which is why he underwent surgery. Originally from Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh, Mr. Mansoori works at a private company in Gurugram and was attending the protests in solidarity. He also had some visa-related work in New Delhi, which he was supposed to finish after the protest on Monday (July 20, 2026). What is the first known usage of pellet guns? Pellet guns were first deployed in Jammu and Kashmir after Kashmir Valley’s summer unrest of 2010 that claimed the lives of 112 protesters in police firing.
The BriefWire