Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, continued his sit-in outside the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police at Parliament Street Police Station in New Delhi on Friday, 21 August, demanding that police register an FIR on behalf of a student who, according to the Indian National Congress, sustained pellet-gun injuries during protests at Jantar Mantar on 20 July. Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra joined the dharna, intensifying pressure on the Delhi Police to act.

What the Congress Leaders Said

Speaking during the sit-in, Rahul Gandhi pointed to the student — identified as Sahil Lochab — as evidence that pellet guns were deployed against peaceful demonstrators. “See, the Delhi Police said that ‘we didn’t shoot the pellet gun’. But here is the boy who got hit by a pellet gun. Maybe he shot himself? We don’t know. An FIR for that has to be filed,” Gandhi said.

He further alleged that police were deflecting rather than registering the complaint. “They are sending us from one station to another. We will not go from here because they will not file the FIR. An FIR should be registered,” he told reporters at the scene.

The Medical Evidence Cited

Rahul Gandhi cited what he described as an AIIMS report to press the case. “Pellet gun was used at Connaught Place on 20th July. AIIMS report clearly says that there are more than 200 shells inside his body and 3 in his eye. He has lost vision in that eye. There are shells near his heart that cannot be touched. Delhi Police say they did not fire pellet guns. So, there is just one question: Someone must have done it,” he said.

Notably, this is the same protest at Jantar Mantar where students had gathered to demand education reforms — a demonstration that has since become a flashpoint between the Congress and the ruling dispensation over alleged police excess.

Allegations Against Home Ministry

Rahul Gandhi claimed that the police had told him they had received orders from higher authorities not to register the FIR. “They told us that they have received order from the top and they cannot file an FIR. We won’t budge from here until an FIR is registered,” he said, directly naming Home Minister Amit Shah and his ministry. “In this country, Amit Shah’s Home Ministry and Delhi Police personnel won’t let justice happen,” Gandhi claimed.

In a post on social media platform X, Rahul Gandhi wrote: “Today, I went to the DCP office at Parliament Street to file an FIR against the police brutality faced by Sahil Lochab. On July 20, the police attacked Sahil, who was peacefully protesting at Jantar Mantar, with a pellet gun. Severely injured by the pellets, Sahil’s vision in one eye is now at risk.” He added: “Such brutality against a peaceful protest is not just illegal—it’s a serious crime. Neither has Home Minister Amit Shah offered any explanation to the students for this cruelty, nor has the Prime Minister apologised to them.”

What Gandhi Has Pledged

Rahul Gandhi warned that accountability would extend across the chain of command. “The FIR will be filed. A judicial enquiry will take place. And action will be taken against everyone—from top to bottom—who is guilty of this brutality. We will ensure justice for Sahil, and every student victim like him,” he said. The Congress has framed the episode as a constitutional rights issue, arguing that denying the right to file an FIR amounts to trampling the rights guaranteed under the Constitution.

Delhi Police had not issued a formal response to the allegations at the time of reporting. With both senior Gandhi family members present at the police station and the Congress threatening to hold its ground, the standoff is likely to sharpen political tensions in the capital in the days ahead.