NEW DELHI — Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi staged an unscheduled dharna outside the Parliament Street Police Station, demanding the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) on behalf of Sahil Lochab, a 19-year-old student allegedly injured by a pellet gun during a July 20 protest at Jantar Mantar.
Refusing to vacate the premises after police declined to log a new FIR, Gandhi produced medical records from AIIMS and Lady Hardinge Medical College, displaying small metal pellets to reporters and stating that over 200 pellets remain embedded in Lochab’s body, including three in his eye.
While the Delhi Police pointed to an ongoing inquiry by a Supreme Court-appointed High-Powered Expert Committee (HPEC) looking into police conduct during the student demonstrations, Gandhi insisted on an immediate criminal case. He was joined outside the station by Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi, drawing sharp opposition from the BJP, whose leader Ravi Shankar Prasad categorized the protest as “politics of anarchy.”
Key Summary
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Prominent Figures: Rahul Gandhi (LoP, Lok Sabha), Priyanka Gandhi, and victim Sahil Lochab
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Location: Parliament Street Police Station / DCP Office, New Delhi
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Primary Demand: Registration of a formal FIR regarding alleged pellet gun deployment on student protesters
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Underlying Event: NEET paper leak student demonstration at Jantar Mantar (July 20, 2026)
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Medical Documentation: Reports from AIIMS and Lady Hardinge Medical College confirm 200+ pellets in the victim’s body and 3 in his eye
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Official Response: Delhi Police highlighted the active Supreme Court expert committee probe; BJP questioned the unannounced sit-in
