The Supreme Court heard a plea challenging the use of metallic pellet guns by police during a Cockroach Janta Party protest at Jantar Mantar [1].
The case centers on whether law enforcement exceeded its authority during a public demonstration. Under police rules, pellet guns may only be used in exceptional circumstances, and a judicial finding of misuse could lead to systemic changes in how Delhi Police manage crowds.
The legal challenge follows a protest on July 20, 2026, where reports indicated that pellet guns were used and resulted in injuries [2]. The petition argues that the deployment of such weapons was unjustified and violated established protocols [1].
Delhi Police denied the allegations on July 21, 2026 [3]. Officials said claims that pellet guns were fired against the protesters during the event were rejected [3].
A bench consisting of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi presided over the hearing [1]. The court is now tasked with reconciling the conflicting accounts of the incident, specifically the reports of injuries versus the official police denial.
Evidence presented in the challenge includes videos and photos that allegedly show protesters with pellet injuries [2]. These materials form the basis of the argument that police used prohibited force during the July 20, 2026, encounter [2].
The Delhi Police said that no such weapons were deployed [3]. The court's review will determine if the force used was proportionate to the situation or if the police breached the "exceptional circumstances" requirement for pellet gun deployment [1].
“The Supreme Court heard a plea challenging the use of metallic pellet guns by police.”
This judicial review highlights the tension between state security measures and the right to protest in India. If the court finds that pellet guns were used outside of 'exceptional circumstances,' it may establish a stricter legal precedent for the use of non-lethal but injurious weaponry in urban crowd control, potentially limiting police discretion during future political demonstrations.
