NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday said pellet guns cannot be banned as long as the existing advisory permits their use for crowd control in exceptional circumstances by security agencies, while making it clear that allegations of specific misuse can be examined on a case-by-case basis.
The court was hearing a plea on the use of metallic pellet guns during the recent students’ protests against NEET -UG paper leak in Delhi. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana also asked the Centre to preserve the ammunition log of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) deployed at the Jantar Mantar.
Observing that police, as per the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) advisory, are empowered to use pellet guns in exceptional situations, the bench termed the demand in the plea for a complete ban on such usage as vague.
“Prayers are not to use pellet guns. In exceptional cases, police regulations permit the use of pellet guns. If you are interested in phasing out pellet guns, you will have to challenge that very provision as ultra vires to Article 21 (right to life),” Justice Bagchi observed.
The bench also took note of submissions of senior advocate Vrinda Grover, appearing for the petitioners, and asked the Delhi government to provide the best treatment to Prashant Kumar, Sheikh Irshad Mansoori and others who suffered pellet gun injuries during the July 20 protest.
Former Central Information Commissioner and retired IPS officer Yashovardhan Azad and the two victims had moved the court seeking a ban on the use of metallic pellet guns to deal with law and order situations.
The petition also sought compensation, medical treatment and rehabilitation for those injured in the Delhi protests.
Grover said,“There can be rubber, plastic and metallic pellets. These were metallic and recovered from the bodies...” She added that she confining her reliefs to metallic pellets.
Justice Bagchi said the court is “not averse to examining the use of pellets in individual use”. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the forces may have to take on-the-spot decision based on the event.
Paper leak bill clears rs
The Rajya Sabha on Thursday passed the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means)Amendment Bill, 2026 by a voice vote amid an Opposition walkout. The legislation had been approved by the Lok Sabha a day earlier. Reiterating the government’s “zero tolerance” policy towards paper leaks, Dr Jitendra Singh said no one would be allowed to jeopardise the future of the country’s youth. Leading the Opposition side of the debate on the bill, Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge linked the Bill to recent nationwide student protests, stating that the amendment had been introduced only after sustained pressure from the Congress and Opposition parties | P7
FIR against protester in Noida
A zero FIR has been registered in Noida against a woman for allegedly using abusive language against Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, police said on Thursday
HC penalty on false complaints
In the first penal action against NEET-UG retest students who filed false complaints alleging tampered OMR (answer) sheets, the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court has imposed a fine of `5,000 each
