Amnesty Report: Police Used Excessive Force Against Student Protesters in Delhi
New Delhi: Amnesty International on Monday released a report alleging that Delhi and Bihar Police used excessive force, including electric shock devices and pellet guns, against youth-led protests that led to the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan last month. The rights group said the weapons were deployed in a manner that breached international law, domestic policing guidelines, and standards.
The protests, triggered by the leak of the NET-UG examination paper, escalated on July 20 when thousands of demonstrators attempted to march towards Parliament. Amnesty said its findings, based on witness testimony and verified visual evidence, confirmed the use of "pellet-firing shotguns, tear gas launchers, grenades, batons, and electric shock devices against protesters" in Delhi and Bihar.
In Bihar's Siwan district, Amnesty said it verified two instances of police officers "unlawfully using lethal force against a crowd." No fatalities were reported. The report acknowledged "isolated incidents of protesters throwing stones" but described the police response as "state-sanctioned violence masked as crowd control."
The report directly contradicts the police account. Delhi Police had told the Supreme Court last week that force was used only after protesters "resorted to violence," and that anti-social elements "masquerading as aggrieved students" caused grievous injuries to security forces.
The Supreme Court, on August 20, constituted a panel to investigate violence by both police and demonstrators. The panel is expected to examine evidence from all sides and submit its findings.
Political reactions have followed. On Friday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi staged a sit-in outside a Delhi police station with a 19-year-old protester who claimed he was injured by pellets during the demonstration. Gandhi demanded an investigation, and police later registered a case over the complaint.
The Amnesty report adds to mounting scrutiny of police conduct during large-scale demonstrations. While the group's methodology relies on verified footage and witness accounts, independent verification of every incident remains pending. Police have consistently denied allegations of indiscriminate force, maintaining that their actions were aimed at preventing violence and protecting public property.
The Supreme Court panel's proceedings will be watched closely as it seeks to balance the right to peaceful protest against the need for public order. Both the protesters and the police have pledged cooperation, though questions over accountability and the use of non-lethal but potentially harmful crowd-control methods remain unresolved.
