Amnesty International has accused the police of using excessive force against protesters in Delhi last month, including the use of electric shock devices and pellet guns. The protests, led by youth, were sparked by the leak of the NET-UG paper and forced Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to resign. According to Amnesty, the police account that force was used only after protesters turned violent is disputed by witness testimony and visual evidence.
The rights group claims that the use of pellet-firing shotguns, tear gas launchers, grenades, batons, and electric shock devices against protesters in Delhi and Bihar was in breach of international law and standards, as well as domestic policing guidelines. Amnesty also verified two instances of a police officer using lethal force against a crowd in Bihar’s Siwan district, although no one was killed. The protests in New Delhi turned violent on July 20 when thousands of protesters attempted to march towards Parliament.
While Amnesty acknowledged isolated incidents of protesters throwing stones, the organization described the police response as ‘state-sanctioned violence masked as crowd control.’ The Supreme Court set up a panel on Thursday to investigate violence by both police and demonstrators. Delhi Police said in a Supreme Court hearing last week they had used force only after protesters ‘resorted to violence.’ They said anti-social elements ‘masquerading as aggrieved students’ caused ‘grievous injuries’ to security forces. On Friday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi staged a sit-in outside a Delhi police station with a 19-year-old protester who said he was injured by pellets during the demonstration.
Mr. Gandhi demanded a police investigation into the shooting, and officers later registered a case over the complaint. Amnesty’s report was released on Monday, highlighting the need for a thorough investigation into the use of force by police during the protests.
