Delhi police say RAF used plastic pellets on July 20

Official police records confirm that the Rapid Action Force used plastic pellets and other non-lethal munitions to disperse protesters during a major demonstration in New Delhi on July 20, contradicting earlier denials by the Delhi Police. The records detail the force's actions during the "Sansad Chalo" march, which was organized to demand accountability over a national medical entrance exam paper leak.

According to a general diary entry made at the Parliament Street police station on July 22, a Deputy Commandant of the RAF reported that the force, deployed alongside a Deputy Commissioner of Police in Zone 1 of the Jantar Mantar area, fired a specific array of munitions on the senior police officer's direction. The inventory included 55 non-electrical shells, 15 electrical shells, five tear smoke grenades, two rounds from anti-riot guns, and two rounds of plastic pellets.

Officials clarified that the plastic pellets are distinct from conventional metal pellets, describing them as a non-lethal crowd-control ammunition. They stated each round contains four plastic pieces designed to minimize harm and does not inflict the piercing injuries associated with metal pellets. This...