Rahul Gandhi Files FIR Over Pellet-Gun Attack on Jantar Mantar Protester
Synopsis
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi personally accompanied Sahil Lochab to the Parliament Street DCP office on 21 August to file an FIR, alleging Delhi Police fired a pellet gun at Lochab during a peaceful Jantar Mantar demonstration on 20 July, leaving his eyesight at risk.
Key Takeaways
Rahul Gandhi visited the Parliament Street DCP office on 21 August 2026 to file an FIR on behalf of Sahil Lochab .
Lochab was allegedly shot with a pellet gun by Delhi Police during a peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar on 20 July 2026 .
The pellet injuries are reported to have put the vision in one of Lochab's eyes at serious risk.
Gandhi described the incident as 'police brutality' against a non-violent demonstrator.
Jantar Mantar is a designated protest site in central Delhi with a long history of demonstrations and occasional police confrontations.
The FIR formally compels Delhi Police — the accused force — to investigate the allegations.
A peaceful demonstration at Jantar Mantar on 20 July 2026 ended with a young protester's eyesight hanging in the balance — and on 21 August 2026, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, walked into the DCP office on Parliament Street to personally file an FIR over what he described as police brutality against Sahil Lochab.
Gandhi posted in Hindi: 'आज साहिल लोचब के साथ, उनके साथ हुई पुलिस बर्बरता के खिलाफ FIR दर्ज कराने संसद मार्ग के DCP कार्यालय पहुँचा' — ('Today I accompanied Sahil Lochab to the DCP office on Parliament Street to file an FIR against the police brutality committed against him.')Pellet gun at a peaceful protest — what Gandhi alleges
According to Gandhi's post, Delhi Police fired a pellet gun at Sahil Lochab while he was peacefully demonstrating at Jantar Mantar on 20 July. The pellets left Lochab severely injured, with the vision in one eye now reported to be at serious risk. Gandhi described the attack as an act of 'police brutality' against a non-violent protester.
The Leader of the Opposition choosing to accompany the victim in person — rather than issue a statement — is a deliberate political signal: it places the incident on the official record and forces a formal police response to the very institution accused of the alleged assault.
Jantar Mantar's history as a flashpoint
Jantar Mantar, the 18th-century astronomical monument in central New Delhi, has for decades doubled as one of the capital's designated protest grounds. Demonstrations ranging from farmer agitations to civil society movements have played out on its pavements. Periodic confrontations between protesters and Delhi Police at the site have generated controversy before, but the alleged use of a pellet gun — a weapon whose deployment in crowd control has drawn sustained criticism in earlier Indian contexts — marks a sharper escalation in the allegations being made here.
What the FIR sets in motion
Filing an FIR at the Parliament Street DCP office formally initiates a criminal complaint process. Once registered, Delhi Police would be obligated to investigate the allegations — an inherently uncomfortable position given that the force itself stands accused. Opposition parties have previously used FIR filings alongside high-profile political accompaniment to sustain media and parliamentary pressure on law-and-order issues. Lochab's medical condition and the progress of the complaint are both likely to surface in upcoming parliamentary proceedings.
Point of View
And any confirmation of its deployment against a peaceful urban protester would significantly raise the political stakes. With Parliament sessions approaching, the incident has the architecture of a sustained campaign issue rather than a one-day story.
NationPress
21 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Rahul Gandhi go to the DCP office on Parliament Street?
Gandhi accompanied Sahil Lochab to the Parliament Street DCP office in New Delhi to personally file an FIR alleging that Delhi Police used a pellet gun against Lochab during a peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar on 20 July 2026.
Who is Sahil Lochab?
Sahil Lochab is the protester whom Gandhi accompanied to file the FIR. According to Gandhi's post, Lochab was demonstrating peacefully at Jantar Mantar on 20 July when he was allegedly hit by pellets fired by Delhi Police, leaving his eyesight in one eye at serious risk.
What is a pellet gun and why is its use controversial?
A pellet gun fires small metallic pellets and has been used by security forces in India as a crowd-control measure. Its use has drawn sustained criticism from rights groups because pellets can cause severe injuries, particularly to the eyes, even when fired as a 'non-lethal' deterrent.
What happens after an FIR is filed against Delhi Police?
Once an FIR is registered, Delhi Police is legally obligated to investigate the complaint. Because the force itself stands accused in this case, the filing creates institutional and political pressure for an independent or judicially monitored probe.
Has Jantar Mantar seen police-protester clashes before?
Yes. Jantar Mantar in central Delhi is one of the capital's designated protest venues and has historically witnessed periodic confrontations between demonstrators and Delhi Police, though the alleged use of a pellet gun against a peaceful protester represents a more serious allegation than most prior incidents.
