SC Moved Over 'Sansad Chalo' Violence: Plea Demands Nationwide Ban on Pellet Guns for Crowd Control
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Following heavy police action during the July 20 'Sansad Chalo' student protest in New Delhi, retired Intelligence Bureau (IB) Special Director and former IPS officer Yashovardhan Azad, alongside two injured victims, has approached the Supreme Court of India.
The Public Interest Litigation (PIL) demands an immediate ban on the deployment of metallic kinetic projectiles and pellets fired from Pump-Action Guns (PAG) during civilian assemblies.
Key Demands Raised in the Supreme Court PIL
Filed through advocate Vrinda Grover, the petition argues that indiscriminate force against peaceful demonstrators directly violates fundamental constitutional rights guaranteed under Articles 19(1)(a), 19(1)(b), and 21:
Complete Decommissioning: Ban or decommission the use of wholly or partly metallic kinetic projectiles/pellets fired from pump-action rifles or Projectile-Action Guns (PAG) for crowd control.
Exemplary Compensation: Grant monetary compensation to all individuals who sustained pellet injuries during the police action on July 20.
Medical Care & Rehabilitation: Direct state authorities to ensure complete, free medical treatment and long-term care for injured protesters.
Details of the July 20 Connaught Place Incident
According to the petition, the incident occurred around 4:30 PM on July 20, 2026, when student assemblies protesting against paper leaks were pushed by security personnel toward the inner circle of Connaught Place.
| Petitioner | Background | Account of Incident |
|---|---|---|
| Yashovardhan Azad | Former IPS & IB Special Director | Co-petitioner advocating for police reform and constitutional accountability. |
| Prashant Kumar (25) | Artist & Protester | Sustained multiple pellet injuries despite raising hands in surrender mode while fleeing. |
| Sheikh Irshad Mansoori (26) | Civilian Bystander | Received splinter pellet wounds while visiting Connaught Place for passport work. |
Petitioner Background Account from the Petition: "The sporadic and unpredictable nature of the trajectory of pellets once fired makes pellet guns an unreasonable, arbitrary, and dangerous tool unfit for deployment to disperse civilian assemblies. It cannot be qualitatively stated to fall within the 'least amount of necessary force' at any given point of time."
Political Escalation & Opposition Demands
The Supreme Court filing follows growing political heat over security force actions during the July 20 demonstration:
Rahul Gandhi’s Letter to Home Minister: Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi wrote a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah on July 25, terming the security deployment a "barbaric assault" and demanding strict accountability for using lethal force against students.
Parliamentary Confrontation: Opposition parties have continued to disrupt Monsoon Session proceedings, raising questions over the use of Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel and demanding answers regarding non-lethal crowd management protocols.
