Supreme Court may frame guidelines on pellet gun use after Jantar Mantar protest

The Supreme Court on Monday said that it might lay down guidelines on when and where the state could use pellet guns during crowd control and law-and-order situations. The use of pellet guns during the July 20 CJP protest at the Jantar Mantar had triggered backlash. The observation comes days after the Supreme Court was hearing a plea about the use of metallic pellet ammunition against civilians during the protest.

A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant said that a police officer using excessive force will not be protected, as well as hardened criminals who were hiding under the guise of students will also not be spared. "We would like to lay down a complete protocol on how and where it can be used," the Bench remarked. The bench decided to form a committee to probe issues arising from the Jantar Mantar protests and examine concerns about the use of excessive force during the Jantar Mantar protest.

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The petition was filed by former Central Information Commissioner and retired IPS officer Yashovardhan Azad, and two protesters who had allegedly sustained pellet injuries during the 'Sansad Chalo' on July 20. It sought a complete ban across India on wholly or partly metallic pellet ammunition for civilian crowd control, as such weapons pose a risk to eyes and other vital organs.

The court earlier, responding to the plea, declined to impose a blanket ban as the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) guidelines allow pellet guns in “exceptional circumstances”. Anyone seeking blanket prohibition would have to challenge that regulation. However, it said that the allegations of misuse could be observed on a case-to-case basis. The court had asked the authorities to preserve the ammunition log of the Rapid Action Forces (RAF) deployed during the protest.

The court observed that it remains committed to addressing the issues raised in the petition. The matter is listed for August 19, where the court will accommodate the Centre's response and continue discussions on the proposed protocols for the use of pellet guns for crowd control.