Saket Gokhale to Move Supreme Court Over CRPF RTI Reply on Delhi Protests
Trinamool Congress leader and former Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale stated on Monday, August 31, 2026, that he will submit a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) response to the Supreme Court after the force claimed that using pellet guns on protestors at Jantar Mantar in Delhi does not constitute a human rights violation.
Mr. Gokhale shared a copy of a Right to Information (RTI) application that he had filed with the Rapid Action Force (RAF), an arm of the CRPF. The application sought specific information regarding the firing of pellet ammunition at unarmed protestors in Delhi on July 20, when students held a march to Parliament following a call by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP).
Under existing legal provisions, the CRPF is generally exempt from the RTI Act, except in matters concerning allegations of corruption or human rights violations. However, the CRPF stated in its response that the allegations raised in the RTI application did not attract the exception relating to violations of human rights, leading to a refusal of the requested records.
According to Mr. Gokhale, a subsequent appeal was filed, but the appellate authority again denied the information using the same reasoning. He criticized the Central government, alleging that authorities initially denied the deployment of pellet guns against demonstrators and later refused to provide figures on victims. He argued that the stance taken by the CRPF is unacceptable in a democracy and confirmed that he will place the reply before the Supreme Court to seek the court's view.
Earlier RTI responses obtained by Mr. Gokhale revealed that Lady Hardinge Hospital and Safdarjung Hospital recorded nine persons and one person, respectively, who suffered pellet gun injuries on July 20. In contrast, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) declined to provide details regarding individuals treated for pellet, shot, or projectile injuries sustained during the July 20 demonstration, citing statutory provisions that protect personal information.
