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Supreme Court questions Centre on SOP for metallic pellet guns used by police in CJP protests, noting rules allow use only in “exceptional circumstances.
Visuals from CJP’s protest at Jantar Mantar. (Source: PTI)
The Supreme Court on Thursday examined a plea challenging the use of metallic pellet guns by police during the CJP protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, observing that police rules permit such measures only “in exceptional circumstances” while asking the Centre to explain the standard operating procedure (SOP) governing their use.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and comprising Justice Joymalya Bagchi issued notice to the Centre on the petition and sought its response on the rules and SOP relating to the deployment of pellet guns by police.
During the hearing, senior advocate Vrinda Grover, appearing for the petitioners, argued that the pellet guns used against protesters fired “kinetic metallic projectiles”, distinguishing them from rubber or plastic pellets.
Explaining the distinction, Grover told the court, “There can be rubber, plastic and metallic pellets. These were metallic and recovered from the bodies. Nature of the crowd will determine use of this as well. Was it a violent mob? No. These metallic pellets were fired.”
Responding to the submissions, Justice Bagchi said, “But police rules allow the use in exceptional circumstances unless you challenge the rules themselves. One of the steps of graded approach is use of pellet guns.”
Grover, however, maintained that the challenge was limited to the use of metallic pellets and not pellet guns in general. “I wish the Delhi Police or the government doesn’t wish to fire metallic pellets on young people,” she said, urging the Union government to place the relevant rules and guidelines on record.
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