Rahul Gandhi Joins Dharna Demanding FIR Over Protester's Pellet Injuries
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi sat on a dharna at the Parliament Street police station on Friday alongside 19-year-old protester Sahil Lochab, demanding the registration of a First Information Report over pellet injuries Sahil suffered during a demonstration in New Delhi.
Sahil sustained severe injuries to his right eye and body during the Cockroach Janta Party’s ‘Sansad Chalo’ protest at Jantar Mantar on July 20. Gandhi joined him at the police station after authorities failed to register a case based on his complaints.
According to a PTI report, Gandhi said Sahil had been told an FIR could not be registered due to "orders from the top." Standing beside the injured youth, Gandhi said they would not budge from the police station until an FIR was lodged. A police source stated that the New Delhi DCP was in touch with Gandhi and that Sahil's complaint would be forwarded to the Crime Branch, which is probing all complaints related to the demonstration.
Sahil and his lawyers had submitted a written complaint to the police on August 14. After receiving no response, they followed up by email and telephone on August 17 before seeking Gandhi’s intervention.
During the July 20 protest around 3:30 pm, Sahil was struck by projectiles in his arm and eye. He stopped a passing motorcyclist who transported him to Lady Hardinge Hospital. He was subsequently shifted to Safdarjung Hospital and then admitted to the AIIMS Trauma Centre on July 21, where he underwent surgery to repair his eye and remove pellets.
Medical examinations revealed that one pellet pierced Sahil's right eye, causing a corneal perforation, while another lodged in his right lung and pericardial fat. He also suffered multiple injuries across his face, neck, chest, right shoulder, and arm. Doctors described his visual prognosis as guarded.
Sahil, a resident of Najafgarh and a student at Delhi University’s School of Open Learning, had been preparing for competitive examinations to secure a government job in a uniformed service. His family, originally from Haryana, noted that the injuries have placed his career aspirations at serious risk.
Other protesters were also reported injured during the event, including 25-year-old Gurugram resident Sheikh Mansoori, who sustained seven pellet injuries to his face. Delhi Police has denied that its personnel used pellet guns during the protest.
