A petition has been filed before the Supreme Court seeking a comprehensive ban on the deployment of pellet guns and metallic kinetic projectiles for crowd management by law enforcement agencies, following civilian injuries during a recent demonstration in New Delhi.
The public interest litigation was jointly submitted by former Indian Police Service officer Yashovardhan Azad and two injured individuals, Prashant Kumar and Sheikh Irshad Mansoori. Filed through advocate Vrinda Grover on Monday, the plea calls for the decommissioning of pump-action guns and Projectile Action Guns (PAG) against civilian assemblies. It also requests full medical treatment, rehabilitation, and monetary compensation for individuals injured during police action on July 20.
Police Action During Parliament March
The injuries occurred during the ‘Sansad Chalo’ march organized on July 20, 2026, by the Cockroach Janata Party to protest against paper leaks in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). Delhi Police deployed the Central Reserve Police Force’s Rapid Action Force (RAF) to assist with crowd management.
According to the petition, security forces launched tear gas shells, executed a lathi charge between 4:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., and pushed demonstrators toward the inner circle of Connaught Place. The filing states that security personnel opened fire with pump-action guns without issuing prior announcements or utilizing water cannons.
Kumar, a 25-year-old artist who attended as a peaceful demonstrator, and Mansoori, a 26-year-old who was present in Connaught Place for passport and visa documentation, both sustained pellet injuries. The plea asserts that neither individual engaged in provocation or aggression, and that force was applied while demonstrators were attempting to flee with raised hands.
Constitutional Challenge To Kinetic Projectiles
The petition asserts that the unpredictable trajectory of kinetic pellets renders pump-action weapons inherently arbitrary, hazardous, and incapable of meeting the legal standard of using the minimum force necessary.
Grounding the argument in fundamental constitutional rights, the petitioners stated that the Right to Freedom of Assembly can only be restricted under Article 19(3) of the Constitution if the measures pass judicial tests of necessity and proportionality. The plea argues that kinetic projectile weapons fail these standards and should be permanently removed from law enforcement deployment against civilian gatherings.
