Are pellet guns being used at protests?
Pellet ammunition, Rapid Action Force crowd-control gear, and the continuing controversy over less-lethal weapons in protest management
- The Rapid Action Force is the anti-riot unit of the Central Reserve Police Force and is equipped for crowd-control duties.
- Pellet guns are pump-action crowd-control weapons whose pellets can lodge near the eye area and cause serious injury.
- Less-lethal plastic bullets were tested at the Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory in Chandigarh as an alternative ammunition type.
What happened
A protest march to Parliament in Delhi on 20 July 2026 revived debate over crowd-control weapons after one injured protester, identified as Shaikh Irshad Mansoori, was reported to have pellet injuries and surgery to remove pellets near the eye area. The Delhi Police denied using pellet guns against protesters, but the incident again placed pellet guns and other police crowd-control equipment under scrutiny.
Background and earlier position
UPSC can frame the issue around the legality, proportionality, and human-rights implications of crowd-control weapons such as pellet guns and shock batons. The topic also connects to police reforms, public order management, and the balance between maintaining order and preventing avoidable injury.
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