Pellet gun attack on students: Five-hour protest pays off as Delhi Police register FIR

NEW DELHI: Delhi Police on Friday registered an FIR based on a complaint filed by Sahil Lochab, a student protester who was injured in an alleged pellet gun attack during the student protest at Jantar Mantar. The FIR was registered after more than five hours of protest and intervention by Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.

Dramatic scenes unfolded outside the Parliament Street police station after police initially refused to register an FIR. Rahul Gandhi said he would not end the protest until an FIR was filed. He warned that he was prepared to sit outside the police station for 30 days or even six months but would not leave without action being taken on the complaint.

Police collected Sahil's medical report and other documents before registering a case against unidentified persons based on his complaint. Sahil's mother also took part in the protest. After receiving a copy of the FIR, Rahul Gandhi asked her, “Are you happy now?”

Rahul Gandhi described the police action as the first step towards justice. He said the case was registered a month after Sahil was hit by pellets, adding that three pellets were lodged in his eye and several others in different parts of his body. Rahul said he reached the police station at around 11.30 am, but the FIR was registered only around 6.30 pm after more than five hours of protest.