CJP students protest: RAF probes excessive force, pellet gun charges in July 20 crackdown

The violence erupted during CJP-led ‘Chalo Sansad’ march on July 20. (ANI photo)

NEW DELHI: The Rapid Action Force (RAF) has begun an internal verification of the conduct of its personnel during the July 20 student protests in Delhi, amid allegations of excessive use of force and the use of pellet guns to disperse demonstrators, officials told news agency PTI on Friday.The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), under which the RAF functions, has directed the inspector general of the anti-riot unit to verify the sequence of events involving its teams during the protest, including the actions taken to control demonstrators and instances where RAF personnel themselves came under attack, officials said.A formal Court of Inquiry has not yet been ordered. According to CRPF officials, such a probe will be initiated only if the ongoing verification establishes grounds for further investigation. The violence erupted during the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led ‘Chalo Sansad’ march on July 20. Students had marched from Jantar Mantar towards Parliament, demanding Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over the alleged NEET question paper leak. The protest ended in clashes with security personnel, who used batons and tear gas to disperse the crowd.Officials told PTI that the RAF has taken cognisance of multiple videos and photographs circulating on social media showing personnel in the force’s distinctive blue camouflage uniforms using lathis and firearms during the operation. The footage also includes visuals of RAF personnel allegedly being surrounded and attacked by protesters.”All legal procedures stipulated to examine the conduct of personnel during such operational duties will be followed,” a senior officer told PTI.Officials said the RAF is equipped with 12-bore pump-action guns, commonly referred to as pellet guns, as part of its standard riot-control equipment. Under the force’s standard operating procedure (SOP), these weapons may be used only in extreme situations where personnel face a serious threat to their lives.The SOP also requires the weapons to be fitted with a deflector so that the metal or rubber pellets cause limited injuries and are aimed only below the waist, officials said. The verification assumes significance amid allegations that at least two students sustained pellet injuries during the July 20 clashes and were admitted to hospitals.While the Delhi Police has denied possessing pellet guns and termed reports suggesting their use as misleading, neither the CRPF nor the RAF has publicly confirmed or denied whether RAF personnel fired pellet ammunition during the protest.Apart from the allegations of excessive force, the verification will also examine videos showing RAF personnel allegedly being attacked by protesters, footage of an RAF uniformed man appearing to trip a running protester, and another clip that purportedly shows a stun gun being used during the clashes, officials said. The CRPF has also instructed commanders of RAF and other units deployed during the protests not to speak to the media after comments made earlier this week by a woman RAF officer were considered “undesirable”, officials said.Separately, the force is examining social media posts allegedly made by RAF assistant commandant Sonia Sehrawat through her Instagram account to determine whether they violated the CRPF’s social media policy, according to officials. The paramilitary force’s 2023 guidelines prohibit personnel from commenting on controversial or politically sensitive issues online.