Archive · 23 Aug 2026
Delhi Pellet Injury Claims Clash With Official No-Firing Account
This article discusses a disagreement about what happened during a protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi.
Sahil Lochab, a 19-year-old student, was reportedly badly hurt.
Medical reports described pellets in several parts of his body.
However, reports from Parliament said that police did not fire there.
The article uses satire to highlight how difficult it is to explain these conflicting accounts.
Sahil’s family reportedly tried to file a police complaint but faced delays.
An FIR was eventually registered after a high-profile sit-in.
The police investigation is expected to determine what really happened.
The article focuses on Sahil Lochab, a 19-year-old Delhi University political science student reportedly injured at Jantar Mantar.
Reports attributed to Sahil’s case describe about 200 pellet injuries, including damage to his cornea, lung and tissue near his heart.
Parliamentary reporting cited in the piece said police did not fire at Jantar Mantar, creating a conflict with the injury reports.
Sahil was reportedly treated at Lady Hardinge, Safdarjung Hospital and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences Trauma Centre.
After an extended sit-in, an FIR was reportedly registered roughly 32 days after the incident, following earlier refusals by police stations.
- Who
- Sahil Lochab, his family, Delhi Police and other people reportedly injured at the protest.
- What
- A dispute over reported pellet and projectile injuries alongside claims that no firing occurred at Jantar Mantar, followed by a delayed FIR.
- When
- The reported incident occurred at the protest; the FIR was registered about 32 days later after a seven-hour sit-in.
- Where
- Jantar Mantar and nearby areas in New Delhi; Sahil was reportedly treated at three Delhi hospitals.
- Why
- The article presents conflicting accounts about whether police used firearms or other projectiles and questions the delay in registering the complaint.
Reported Injuries And Medical Accounts
No-Firing Official Account
Whether projectiles were used
Reported Injuries And Medical Accounts
Reports discussed in the article described Sahil as suffering pellet injuries, while a medical report concerning Nutan reportedly attributed her injury to a rubber bullet.
No-Firing Official Account
Parliamentary reporting cited in the article said there was no firing at Jantar Mantar, and the piece notes that police were said not to have deployed pellet guns.
Police complaint
Reported Injuries And Medical Accounts
Sahil and his family reportedly sought an FIR, arguing that the injuries required a formal investigation.
No-Firing Official Account
The article says police stations initially refused or failed to register the FIR, reflecting the difficulty of reconciling the complaint with the no-firing account.
Responsibility for the incident
Reported Injuries And Medical Accounts
The reported injuries prompted questions about who authorized or used any projectile weapons during the protest.
No-Firing Official Account
The article speculates about a chain of command while emphasizing that the official account denied firing and that the investigation had yet to establish responsibility.
- Central figure
- Sahil Lochab, a 19-year-old political science student
- Reported injuries
- About 200 pellet injuries were attributed to Sahil in reports discussed by the article
- Reported medical findings
- A corneal injury and pellets reportedly found in his right lung and pericardial fat
- Reported hospitals
- Lady Hardinge, Safdarjung Hospital and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences Trauma Centre
- Officially reported position
- Parliamentary reporting cited by the article said there was no firing at Jantar Mantar
- FIR timing
- The FIR was reportedly registered after a seven-hour sit-in around the 32nd day after the incident
- Other reported victims
- Reports also named Irshad Sheikh and Nutan, who was said to have suffered an ear injury from a projectile