A Supreme Court bench remarked on Thursday that police may resort to pellet guns in exceptional circumstances, while directing the Centre to maintain the ammunition records of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) deployed at Jantar Mantar during the Cockroach Janta Party-led student protest.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, and also comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, raised questions over one of the prayers in a petition filed by former Central Information Commissioner and retired IPS officer Yashovardhan Azad along with two victims, which sought a total prohibition on the use of metallic pellet guns for handling law-and-order situations.
Advocate Vrinda Grover appeared for the petitioners, while Solicitor General Tushar Mehta represented the Centre and the Delhi government.
The bench cited the advisory issued by the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) and remarked orally that the police are "authorised to deploy pellet guns in exceptional circumstances."
Azad has petitioned the Supreme Court for a nationwide prohibition on the use of fully or partially metallic pellet ammunition fired from pump-action or projectile-action guns to disperse civilian gatherings, arguing that such weapons are fundamentally inconsistent with constitutional norms regulating the use of force.
The PIL, submitted under Article 32 of the Constitution, has been jointly filed by Azad and two individuals who claim they suffered pellet injuries during the 'Sansad Chalo' protest in central Delhi on July 20.
The petition further requests exemplary damages, along with comprehensive medical care and rehabilitation for all individuals reportedly injured in the incident.
