RAF verifies conduct of personnel amid allegations of excess force at CJP protest
The Rapid Action Force (RAF) has begun a verification exercise into allegations that its personnel used disproportionate force, including firing pellet guns, during the ongoing student protests at Jantar Mantar, officials said on Friday.
Senior officials said the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), under which the RAF functions, directed the Inspector General of the RAF to verify the sequence of events involving various teams deployed to control protesters during the July 20 ‘Chalo Sansad’ march, as well as incidents in which personnel themselves came under attack.
Officials clarified that no formal Court of Inquiry (CoI) has been ordered yet. They said a decision on initiating such a probe would be taken after the verification exercise establishes the facts.
According to officials, the RAF has acknowledged multiple videos and photographs circulating on social media that show its personnel in blue riot-control uniforms using batons and firearms during attempts to disperse protesters.
The force is also examining videos showing RAF personnel being surrounded and allegedly assaulted by sections of the crowd.
“All legal procedures stipulated to check the conduct of the personnel during such operational duties will be followed,” a senior RAF officer said. Officials said the RAF is equipped with 12-bore pump-action pellet guns as part of its standard riot-control arsenal. Under the force’s standard operating procedure (SOP), these weapons may only be used in extreme situations where personnel face grave danger to their lives.
The SOP further mandates that pellet guns must be fitted with a deflector to minimise injuries and that pellets should only be aimed at the lower half of the body.
The verification comes amid allegations that pellet guns were used during the protests. At least two students have reportedly been admitted to hospitals with pellet injuries since the July 20 clashes.
While the Delhi Police has maintained that it does not possess pellet guns and has termed reports suggesting otherwise as misleading, the CRPF and the RAF have so far not commented on allegations that their personnel fired pellet ammunition.
The force is also reviewing footage purportedly showing stranded RAF personnel being attacked by protesters, a video in which an RAF-uniformed man appears to trip a protester, and another clip alleging the use of a shock-emitting device against a demonstrator.
Separately, the CRPF instructed commanders of the RAF and other deployed units not to speak to the media after an interaction by a woman RAF officer earlier this week was viewed internally as “undesirable”, officials said.
The CRPF headquarters is also examining purported Instagram comments made by RAF Assistant Commandant Sonia Sehrawat to determine whether they violate the force’s social media policy. The paramilitary’s 2023 guidelines prohibit personnel from making comments on political or controversial issues that could compromise the force’s neutrality.
