'Will Lay Down Protocol': Supreme Court To Decide When Pellet Guns Can Be Used And How
'Will Lay Down Protocol': Supreme Court To Decide When Pellet Guns Can Be Used And How Reported By, Edited By Last Updated: August 03, 2026
'Will Lay Down Protocol': Supreme Court To Decide When Pellet Guns Can Be Used And How Reported By, Edited By Last Updated: August 03, 2026, 14:10 IST The Supreme Court says it will frame a comprehensive protocol on pellet gun use during protests, examining when and under what circumstances they can be deployed. he Supreme Court said it will formulate a comprehensive protocol governing the use of pellet guns during protests and crowd-control operations. (Photo: PTI) The Supreme Court on Monday said it intends to lay down a comprehensive protocol governing the use of pellet guns during crowd-control operations, observing that it would examine whether such weapons should be used at all and, if so, under what circumstances. Hearing a batch of petitions related to the July 20 Jantar Mantar student protests, the bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant remarked that the court would like to formulate a complete framework on the deployment of pellet guns by law enforcement agencies during protests and law-and-order situations. The court also indicated that it may constitute a high-powered committee to probe issues arising from the Jantar Mantar protests and examine concerns over the use of force during the demonstration.
ALSO READ | Delhi Police Probes Jantar Mantar Protests Digital Campaign, 400 Pakistan-Linked Handles Under Scanner The observations come days after the court heard a separate plea challenging the use of metallic pellet ammunition against civilians during the protest. During that hearing on July 30, the court had declined to impose an immediate ban on pellet guns, observing that they cannot be prohibited as long as the existing Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) advisory permits their use in exceptional circumstances for crowd control. According to news agency PTI, the bench had observed that police regulations currently allow the use of pellet guns in exceptional situations and that anyone seeking a blanket prohibition would have to challenge those regulations themselves. At the same time, the court made it clear that allegations of misuse in a particular incident could be examined on a case-by-case basis. The earlier hearing stemmed from a petition filed by former Central Information Commissioner and retired IPS officer Yashovardhan Azad, along with two protesters who allegedly suffered pellet injuries during the July 20 ‘Sansad Chalo’ march organised by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP). The petition sought a nationwide ban on wholly or partly metallic pellet ammunition for civilian crowd control, arguing that such weapons pose a significant risk of serious injuries, particularly to the eyes and other vital organs.
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