Are pellet guns legal for crowd control in India? | Explained
Delhi Police have denied using pellet guns against protesters marching to Parliament, but allegations against the Rapid Action Force revive the debate on non-lethal weapons and the law on dispersing an unlawful assembly
At least one protester among the 80 injured during the Monday (July 20, 2026) march to Parliament sustained pellet gun injuries, according to a source at Lady Hardinge Medical College. The Delhi Police has denied using pellet guns, dismissing claims as "false and misleading". However, allegations have been strong against the Rapid Action Force, a specialized rapid reaction wing of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
The use of non-lethal pellet guns has been widely criticized during past protests, notably the 2024 farmers' demonstrations. Farmers had alleged that pellet guns were used, and they were also employed in Manipur in 2023 and in Kashmir since 2010. The legal framework governing the use of these non-lethal weapons for crowd control in India has come under scrutiny following the recent incident.
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