Rahul Gandhi Dharna Leads to FIR in Pellet-Gun Case

NEW DELHI, August 21, 2026: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday staged a dharna outside the Parliament Street Police Station, demanding registration of an FIR into the alleged pellet-gun injuries suffered by student Sahil Lochab during a protest in Delhi on July 20. The FIR was eventually registered later in the day following the protest.

Gandhi reached the police station with Lochab, his mother and their lawyer after Delhi Police initially declined to register an FIR on the student’s complaint. When the police maintained their refusal, Gandhi sat in protest outside the station along with Lochab and his family. Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and several other Congress leaders and workers also joined the dharna.

After the FIR was registered, Gandhi described it as the “first step towards justice” but questioned why police took nearly eight hours to register the case.

Gandhi said he, Lochab, the student’s mother and their lawyer reached the police station at around 11–11.30 am, while the FIR was registered around 6.45–7 pm.

“Clearly, injustice has been done to a young man,” Gandhi said, noting that Lochab had been carrying pellets in his body for nearly a month. Displaying the student’s medical reports, he alleged that more than 200 pellets had entered Lochab’s body, including three that struck his eye and affected his vision. He also said three to four pellets were lodged near the student’s heart.

Gandhi displayed a pellet reportedly recovered from Lochab’s body during medical treatment and said the student and his family had been seeking justice for nearly a month.

“An offence has been committed and we are demanding registration of an FIR,” Gandhi said earlier during the protest. He alleged that police officials had received instructions “from above” not to register the case.

After the FIR was registered, Gandhi questioned the delay and said the incident raised wider concerns about access to justice.

“If justice is not available at a police station right in the middle of Delhi, imagine what happens at a police station in a village or a small town,” he said.

Gandhi also alleged that the police personnel at the station wanted to register the FIR but were prevented from doing so because of orders from higher authorities. He claimed that the “final OK” had to come from the Home Secretary and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

“The final OK had to be given by the Home Secretary and Amit Shah ji. So, you can understand who was stopping the FIR,” Gandhi said.

He further alleged that “the brakes on justice were being applied from above” and questioned why the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister had not offered an explanation or apology to students injured during the protest.

Lochab said he was struck by pellet fire near Connaught Place on July 20. He was initially admitted to Lady Hardinge Hospital and later referred to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), where he underwent two surgeries.

Despite treatment, Lochab said his vision remained impaired. He said he submitted a seven-page complaint to the police on August 14 seeking registration of an FIR.

Congress leaders accompanying Gandhi said registration of the case was necessary for an impartial investigation into the circumstances of Lochab’s injuries, including identifying those responsible for the firing and determining whether the use of force was lawful.

The registration of the FIR came after Gandhi’s prolonged protest outside the police station, with the Congress leader maintaining that a police case was essential to establish accountability and provide the injured student and his family access to justice.