'No FIR, so we sit': Rahul on dharna outside DCP office along with pellet gun victim

Rahul Gandhi, the Lok Sabha leader of the opposition, led a protest outside the Parliament Street Police Station on Friday, demanding justice for pellet-gun victims who were subjected to police action during a student protest at Jantar Mantar on July 20. His wife, Priyanka Gandhi, joined him at the Sansad Marg Police Station.

The Congress party met senior police officials at the DCP office in Connaught Place, seeking registration of a complaint over the excessive use of force, including pellet guns, against student protesters. Rahul Gandhi vowed to remain outside the police station until the complaint was officially registered.

At a press conference, Rahul alleged that approximately 200 pellets were lodged in the body of a student protester named Sahil Lochav, as supported by reports from AIIMS and Lady Hardinge Hospital. He also stated that three pellets were lodged in his eye, causing vision loss, and that additional pellets were near his heart, making removal impossible.

Delhi Police claimed they had not fired the pellets, suggesting that someone else must have fired them at Sahil Lochav. Rahul further questioned whether Lochav himself fired the pellets. He accused Union Home Minister Amit Shah of authorizing the use of lethal weapons during the protests, stating that the issue was of fundamental importance in Parliament.

The Congress party criticized Delhi Police for refusing to register an FIR over the pellet gun attack on Sahil Lochav, citing Lochav's written complaint to the police in the presence of his lawyers. The party alleged that no I/O number or acknowledgement was provided by the police, despite repeated follow-ups via email and phone calls. Rahul and Lochav proceeded to the DCP office to press for the registration of the case, emphasizing that "No FIR. No justice. So we sit" until an FIR was filed.