RAF fired pellets on CJP protesters on Delhi senior cop's orders, document reveals
An official record of the police action during the July 20 'Sansad Chalo' march over the NEET issue says the Rapid Action Force fired multiple
An official record of the police action during the July 20 'Sansad Chalo' march over the NEET issue says the Rapid Action Force fired multiple rounds of non-lethal munitions, including two rounds of plastic pellets, while controlling protesters at one location near Jantar Mantar, officials said on Monday. The use of force, especially pellets, has since become a fresh flashpoint, with the Opposition targeting the government and demanding a statement from Home Minister Amit Shah in Parliament. Read Full Story The incident was recorded on July 22 at 1.24 pm in the general diary of the Parliament Street police station on the information of a Deputy Commandant of the RAF, officials told PTI.
According to the police station record, the blue-dungaree-clad force was deployed in Zone 1 of the Jantar Mantar area along with a Delhi Police officer of Deputy Commissioner of Police rank, and acted on the directions of the DCP. According to officials quoting the record, the RAF fired 55 non-electrical shells, 15 electrical shells, five tear smoke grenades, two rounds from anti-riot guns and two rounds of plastic pellets on July 20. Officials said one round of non-lethal plastic pellets contains four pieces and that these are different from metal pellets that pierce the body. The plastic pellets do not cause much harm, the officials said.
There have been two-three reports of protesters suffering grievous pellet injuries during the march, which was called by the Cockroach Janta Party seeking the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as Union Education Minister over the NEET-UG question paper leak. Pradhan resigned on Saturday and the month-long CJP protest was called off. Multiple police, RAF and CRPF personnel were also injured during the protests. The Delhi Police has said on record that claims of the use of pellets against "peaceful protestors" were "completely false and misleading". The CRPF and the RAF have not commented on the subject so far. "Now, since agitation has been called off, and assembled people have dispersed, we would make a professional post-event assessment, like we do after every major assignment, and then let you know the view of the Force Hq (headquarters)," CRPF Director General G P Singh said.
The official record has detailed the force used during the July 20 protest near Jantar Mantar, even as questions over pellet use continue, the Delhi Police disputes the allegations, and the CRPF says it will carry out a post-event assessment. Ends
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