CRPF defends NEET protest action

July 29, 2026 Hot from the Oven Valli Sarvani

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has concluded that its personnel followed all Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and anti-riot protocols during the police action against protesters demonstrating over the NEET paper leak on July 20.

According to post-incident analysis reports cited by newspapers, the Rapid Action Force (RAF) adhered to the prescribed use-of-force gradient, including the authorised use of non-lethal measures such as pump-action pellet guns.

The report states that RAF personnel resorted to pump-action guns only after lower-intensity crowd-control measures, including public announcements, tear gas, and lathi-charge, failed to disperse the gathering.

Around three to five protesters reportedly sustained injuries from metal pellets during the operation.

Meanwhile, 47 RAF personnel were injured in the clashes, including six who suffered head injuries. CRPF Director General G. P. Singh said the matter is currently sub judice and that the force’s findings would be placed before the Supreme Court.

According to RAF sources, the use of force received prior approval from the Delhi Police and was carried out in accordance with legal provisions and established SOPs.

Officials alleged that sections of the crowd attacked Delhi Police and RAF personnel by pelting stones and using iron railings during the protest.

Under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), an executive magistrate can authorise the use of civil force to disperse an unlawful assembly after assessing the situation.

In Delhi, this authority is vested in the Commissioner of Police and delegated to officers up to the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP).

Officials also clarified that RAF personnel may deploy riot-control equipment only after receiving written authorisation from the officer in charge, such as the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) or ACP. They added that verbal approvals are not permitted under the prescribed procedure.

According to a Dainik Jagran report citing CRPF sources, pump-action guns are recognised as an approved non-lethal crowd-control measure and may be used only after following the prescribed force protocol.

The issue of pellet guns has previously been examined by the judiciary. In 2016, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court observed that law enforcement officers must decide the appropriate level of force based on the situation and that courts cannot determine whether force was excessive without findings from a competent authority.

The Supreme Court later dismissed a challenge to that ruling, leaving the High Court’s observations intact.

Image from Pxhere (Free for commercial use / CC0 Public Domain)

Image published on February 28, 2017