Six days after the July 20 crackdown near Parliament, neither the CRPF nor its Rapid Action Force wing has clarified whether their personnel fired pellet guns at protesters. As of publication, the force has neither publicly confirmed nor denied their use, even as The Indian Express reported that an internal inquiry found that seven rounds were fired from a pellet gun.
On Monday, the Supreme Court will hear two petitions alleging police excesses as the Delhi Police faces questions over its response to the protest march called by the Cockroach Janta Party. But the force at the centre of the pellet injury allegations is the RAF – a CRPF wing trained in riot control, crowd management, negotiation and the use of less-lethal and minimum force. Its official motto is “Serving Humanity With Sensitive Policing”.
