Rahul Gandhi Ends 6 Hour Protest After Delhi Police Files FIR In Pellet Gun Case

Rahul Gandhi's persistent six-hour protest outside the Parliament Street police station culminated in the Delhi Police registering an FIR on Friday, while the case pertains to Sahil Lohchab, a student who participated in a protest at Jantar Mantar on July 20 and allegedly lost his eyesight due to the use of pellet guns. Although the FIR has been filed, it has been registered against unknown persons. Rahul Gandhi remained seated outside the police station from approximately 12:30 PM until the FIR was officially lodged, after which he left the premises accompanied by the student.

The Standoff and Rahul Gandhi's Demands

The protest began when Rahul Gandhi reached the police station in the afternoon. Initially, his demands for an immediate FIR weren't met, leading him to meet with the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP). When the discussions failed to yield a satisfactory result, Gandhi decided to launch a sit-in protest. He firmly stated that he wouldn't move until the FIR was registered. During the protest, Gandhi displayed the pellets that were allegedly removed from Sahil's body, asserting that they served as undeniable evidence. He questioned the police, stating, "These pellets are proof; they've come out of Sahil's body.

Political Support and National Concerns

Rahul Gandhi wasn't alone in his protest; he was joined by several senior Congress leaders, including Priyanka Gandhi, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Salman Khurshid, and Jairam Ramesh, while after the FIR was finally registered, Gandhi addressed the media, highlighting the difficulty of obtaining justice even in the national capital. He remarked that if a six-hour protest was required in Delhi just to get an FIR filed, one could only imagine the plight of students and rape victims in other parts of the country. He further alleged that there were obstructions from higher authorities in the path of justice, calling the FIR the "first step towards justice" for the young man who had faced immense suffering.

Sahil Lohchab's Background and the Incident

Sahil Lohchab, the victim at the center of this case, is a resident of Sonipat in Haryana. He's the eldest of three siblings, and his father, Deepak, works as a driver. The family has been living in the Najafgarh area of Delhi for several years. Sahil is a student at Delhi University's School of Open Learning (SOL) and has been preparing for competitive exams, including the SSC-CGL and police recruitment. Sahil alleges that during a protest organized by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar, paramilitary forces used pellet guns against the students. He claims that the pellets hit him, resulting in the loss of vision in one of his eyes.

BJP's Counter-Attack

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was quick to criticize Rahul Gandhi's protest, labeling him a "Media-jeevi" (someone who lives for media attention), while bJP General Secretary Smriti pointed out that the matter regarding the Jantar Mantar protest is already being heard in the Supreme Court and that an inquiry committee has been established to investigate the incident. She further criticized Gandhi for his selective stance, noting that security forces were also attacked during the protest, yet Gandhi remained silent on the injuries sustained by the personnel.