Supreme Court asks Centre to preserve RAF ammunition log used during NEET protest

PTI, July 30, 2026, New Delhi : Taking note of a plea on the use of metallic pellet guns during the recent students' protests against the NEET paper leak in Delhi, the Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Centre to preserve the ammunition log of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) deployed at Jantar Mantar.

Observing that police, as per the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) advisory, are empowered to use pellet guns in exceptional situations, the top court termed "vague" the prayer in the plea seeking a complete ban on such usage.

A Bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana took note of the submissions of senior advocate Vrinda Grover, appearing for the petitioners, and asked the Delhi government to provide the best treatment to Prashant Kumar, Sheikh Irshad Mansoori and others who suffered pellet gun injuries during the July 20 protest here.

Former Central Information Commissioner and retired IPS officer Yashovardhan Azad and the two victims had moved the court seeking a complete ban on the use of metallic pellet guns to deal with law and order situations.

At the outset, Justice Bagchi said that the prayer for a ban on the use of pellet guns by law enforcement agencies for civilian crowd dispersal was "vague" without challenging the police regulations, which permit the use of such weapons.

Grover said it was not easy to find such regulations in the public domain, and urged the Bench to direct the Centre to place them on record.

Singh and Mansoori reportedly suffered pellet injuries during the 'Sansad Chalo' march called by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) on July 20.

Grover said, as regards the petitioners, metallic pellets were used, and they were recovered from their bodies.

"I am not saying pellet guns should not be in the armoury of the RAF or not. Here it is different. They have used metallic pellets," she said.

The Bench said it was not averse to examining the use of pellets in a particular incident and the petitioners must show if it was permissible under a "graded approach".

The senior lawyer said she was confining her reliefs to metallic pellets.

"There is no standing order of the Delhi Police which permits the use of pellets. That is why my difficulty arises, and I have to rely on BPRD. If there is such a standing order, the Union may place it on record. I am sure the Union and the Delhi Police do not wish to fire pellets on innocent youngsters," she said.

"I could not find any such standing order of the Delhi Police at all," Grover said.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the government will do whatever is necessary to assist the Bench.

Grover said the apex court on July 28 directed the preservation of CCTV, drone, body camera footage and wireless logs and did not specifically refer to ammunition logs of the RAF.

"Whatever is required for investigation will be preserved," the Solicitor General said.