New Delhi: Prashant, a 25-year-old Bihar resident, said he thought he would lose his arm after allegedly suffering pellet injuries on July 20 during clashes between personnel and protesters over Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)’s march towards Parliament.
Event Context
“Around 4 pm, police used tear gas to disperse students around Jantar Mantar. I was already hit by lathis. Within minutes, I, along with my friend and other protesters, had reached the Palika Bazar area, near Gandhi Charkha installation. There, many protesters were cornered by police personnel. There was tear gas shelling and firing, and I tried to run away from there as well. That is when these pellets hit me on different parts of my body, and within seconds I felt I could not feel my right arm. My friend then rushed me to Lady Hardinge Hospital,” he told HT.
“At the hospital, they treated me and told me I would heal in a few days, and discharged me the same day. When I reached home, my friends saw my wounds, and we researched online. We then figured out that these wounds were very similar to pellet wounds,” he said.
“It was then that I checked my discharge papers from the hospital, where it was also mentioned that these were pellet wounds. That is when I understood what had happened to me,” Prashant added.
His discharge summary says he was brought to the hospital around 4:30 pm. Under the section of “history and examination”, the summary says, “the patient has pellet injuries to the right upper limb, chest and inguinal region with first-degree severity.”
Prashant, who works at a private firm in Delhi, said, “For days, I did not tell my family back in Bihar that I had these pellet-like wounds because I was worried they would get tense.”
He said he is recovering, but wounds are yet to be completely healed.
HT has earlier reported three other alleged cases of pellet-like injuries received by Sheikh Irshad Mansuri, a 25-year-old employee at a private firm; Sahil Lochab, a student aspiring to join the police force; and a 28-year-old reporter who did not wish to be named.
When HT reached out to the Delhi Police when cases surfaced, it officially denied using pellet or rubber guns. “The RAF has anti-riot gear that includes a pellet gun. They may have carried it during the protest, but we can’t comment on CRPF and their weapons,” said a senior police officer at Delhi Police headquarters, on the condition of anonymity.
Match Outlook
“When those pellet-like things hit my hand, I thought I was going to lose my arm forever. I could not feel it for hours,” said Prashant, who lives in Delhi and was injured near the Jantar Mantar protest site.
He was rushed to Lady Hardinge Hospital and treated for his injuries. His discharge paper, accessed by HT, reads: “Multiple pellet injuries to the right upper limb, chest and inguinal region.”
HT tried to reach out to the hospital, Delhi Police and CRPF for comment but did not receive a response till the time of going to press.
“I was following the movement on social media from the beginning and visited the Jantar Mantar. On July 20, I also went to the protest to participate in the ‘Sansad Chalo’ march call by CJP,” said Prashant.
