THE Delhi Police on Friday registered an FIR over pellet injuries suffered by a 20-year-old student during the July 20 protest at Jantar Mantar, after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi held a ‘dharna’ at the Parliament Street police station demanding action in the case. The FIR was registered on the complaint of the injured youth, Sahil Lochab, a resident of Najafgarh, who alleged that he was hit by several metal pellets during the protest and lost vision in his right eye. The police registered the case under Sections 118 (voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means) and 25 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), a police officer said. Later in the day, Rahul Gandhi ended his over-six-hour ‘dharna’ at the Parliament Street police station here, after an FIR was registered. Gandhi had sat on the ‘dharna’ outside the police station after police refused to lodge an FIR on 19-year-old Sahil Lochab’s complaint.

 

“This is the first step towards justice and a case has been registered,” Gandhi said, soon after the Delhi Police registered the FIR. “There are pellets in his body and he cannot even see as he has suffered injuries in his eye. This is injustice with this youngster. For almost a month, he has been calling for the registration of an FIR and moving from one police station to another. “After hours of protest, an FIR has been registered. One can imagine what the people of the country suffer when they seek justice. There are several rape victims and victims of intimidation and they continue to fight while seeking justice,” the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha said. According to his complaint, Lochab alleged that he was participating in the students’ protest against alleged irregularities in the Delhi Police recruitment examination and the NEET paper leak. When the crowd reached the Connaught Place area during a march towards Parliament, he moved towards the front while carrying the Tricolour. He alleged that he suddenly felt something hit the right side of his body, including his chest, arm and eye. When he turned around, he saw a person in a blue uniform carrying a large gun and alleged that several metal pellets were fired from the weapon.Lochab said he was hit around five or six times and started bleeding from his eye, face, hand and chest. He became disoriented and lost vision in his right eye, he said in his complaint.