Central Delhi witnessed overwhelming violence on 20 July when tens of thousands of protesters marched toward parliament to demand education reforms and the resignation of the education minister following repeated exam paper leaks, the BBC reported. The demonstration drew supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), who faced a heavy-handed response from police and paramilitary personnel deploying wooden sticks, batons, and tear gas.
Central Delhi Protests and the 20 July Crackdown
Official figures from the Delhi Police stated that 60 protesters and 118 personnel were injured during the clashes. However, the CJP maintained that the actual count of injured demonstrators far exceeded the official figures, pointing to a broader pattern of severe force used to disperse the crowds.
Ballistic Evidence and Expert Findings on Pellet Guns
While the government initially denied deploying pellet-laden munitions, independent forensic analysts confirmed that injuries documented among protesters matched the discharge of shotgun birdshot. Two independent armament and forensic experts reviewed photographs and videos of the victims and concluded that security forces had deployed crowd-control shotguns.
The injuries depicted are definitely from a pellet gun,
said UK-based ballistics forensic scientist Philip Boyce, identifying the weapon used as a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun. Boyce explained that while shotguns are common in law enforcement arsenals, firing cartridges filled with hundreds of small metal pellets creates an indiscriminate spread across a crowd.
NR Jenzen-Jones, director of Armament Research Services (ARES) in the UK, concurred with the assessment, stating that images and video from the protests show the police using shotguns for crowd control. Jenzen-Jones noted that Indian security forces have a documented history of utilizing shotgun cartridges loaded with small lead pellets in protest scenarios.
While shotguns are a common tool in the less-lethal arsenals of many states, Indian law enforcement agencies have a long history of employing shotgun cartridges loaded with small lead pellets – known as ‘birdshot’ – in crowd-control scenarios. When loaded with birdshot cartridges, shotguns are sometimes referred to as ‘pellet guns’.
NR Jenzen-Jones, director of Armament Research Services (ARES) in UK
Hospital Records and Protester Accounts
Hospital records reviewed by journalists confirmed multiple admissions for wounds caused by small metallic objects. Two-three seconds later, I felt a burning sensation on my right arm and back,
Mohit said.
Another protester, Shaikh Irshad Mansoori, recounted hearing a cracking sound before feeling impacts on his face. Scans subsequently showed more than 40 pellets lodged in his body, including three deeply embedded near his neck, left eye muscle, and nose. Surgeons successfully extracted seven pellets but left one in his neck because extraction posed too high a risk.
Nineteen-year-old student Sahil Lochab appeared alongside opposition leader Rahul Gandhi at a news conference, displaying extensive facial and bodily wounds. Doctors warned that Lochab might lose an eye due to the severity of his injuries. I want justice. Whoever did this to me doesn’t deserve to be in power,
Lochab said.
Government Denials and Political Fallout
Delhi Police rejected the allegations, dismissing claims that pellet guns were deployed as completely false and misleading while asserting that the department does not possess such weaponry. Minister Jitendra Singh told parliament that no bullets were fired and that only tear gas was used, though he did not specifically address whether shotguns or birdshot cartridges had been utilized.
Opposition figures seized on the findings to demand accountability. Rahul Gandhi called for the dismissal of Home Minister Amit Shah, arguing that Shah bears direct responsibility because both the Delhi Police and the Rapid Action Force report to his ministry.
While pellet guns have been deployed by security forces in Indian-administered Kashmir since 2010—where rights organizations have extensively documented permanent eye injuries and fatalities—the July incident marks the first reported use of the weapons against demonstrators in India’s capital.
