Are pellet guns legal for crowd control in India? | Explained
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
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, according to a source at Lady Hardinge Medical College, where the victim is undergoing treatment. While the Delhi Police has denied using pellet guns and said such claims are “false and misleading”, the allegations have been strong against the Rapid Action Force, a specialised rapid reaction wing of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). This prompts questions over the legal framework governing the use of pellet guns and non-lethal weapons for crowd control in India. Also read | Why are pellet guns used as a ‘non-lethal’ crowd-control measure? | Explained The use of ‘non-lethal’ pellet guns was widely criticised during the 2024 farmers’ protests. Though the police denied using pellet guns, farmer leaders had alleged that several people were injured. They were also used in Manipur in 2023 and in Kashmir since 2010. What are pellet guns and how are they used? Pellet guns are used by police and armed forces for crowd control and dispersing protests. They fire cartridges containing pellets, usually metal, with sharp edges. Once fired, the cartridge bursts and disperses the pellets. They are commonly described as “non-lethal” or “less-lethal” weapons. They are also referred to as birdshot or dove shot, reflecting their original use for hunting. What does Indian law say about controlling unlawful assemblies? Pellet guns are not classified as firearms under the Arms Act, 1959, if their muzzle energy is below 20 joules. Pellet guns with muzzle energy above 20 joules are treated as firearms and require an arms licence. Low-powered pellet guns are considered air rifles and are not subject to the same licensing rules as firearms. Sections 148 to 151 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, govern the dispersal of unlawful assemblies. Under Section 148, an Executive Magistrate, the officer in charge of a police station, or, in their absence, a police officer not below the rank of a sub-inspector, may command an unlawful assembly, or an assembly of five or more persons likely to cause a disturbance of public peace, to disperse. If the assembly does not disperse, the officer may disperse it by force and, if necessary, arrest and confine those forming part of it. Section 149 permits the District Magistrate or any authorised Executive Magistrate to seek the assistance of the armed forces where an assembly cannot otherwise be dispersed and it is necessary for public security. It further requires that the armed forces use “as little force, and do as little injury to person and property, as may be consistent with dispersing the assembly.” Section 150 empowers a commissioned or gazetted officer of the armed forces to act in the absence of an Executive Magistrate where public security is manifestly endangered, subject to the Magistrate’s directions once communication becomes possible. Section 151 provides that no prosecution for acts purportedly done under Sections 148, 149 or 150 can be instituted without the sanction of the Central Government in the case of armed forces personnel or the State Government in other cases, while also protecting Executive Magistrates, police officers and persons acting in good faith under these provisions.
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