- CRPF Director General backed personnel actions amidst pellet use scrutiny.
- Delhi Police reviewed pellet use; incident sparked political debate.
- Sources confirm personnel followed SOP; no action anticipated.
Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Director General G.P. Singh has publicly backed his personnel, assuring them that he would stand by every decision taken in the bona fide discharge of duty. His remarks come as the force faces scrutiny over the Rapid Action Force’s (RAF) use of plastic pellets during the July 20 ‘Chalo Sansad’ protest organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) near Jantar Mantar.
Addressing personnel at the CRPF investiture ceremony held on Monday to mark the force’s Raising Day, Singh said officers and jawans should continue performing their duties without fear, adding that he would take responsibility for actions taken in the line of duty if they were in the interest of the public, the force and the nation.
“As DG of CRPF, I want to assure each one of you that whether it is an operational battalion or law-and-order unit, whatever decisions you carry out in the bona fide discharge of your duties and which are aligned with the interests of the public, the force and the nation, I shall take responsibility for all those decisions and actions. Continue to perform your duties fearlessly. Wherever responsibility or accountability needs to be taken, I will take it as the Director General,” Singh said.
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Delhi Police Reviews GD Entry
Singh’s remarks came a day after a high-level meeting was held at the Delhi Police headquarters to examine a general diary (GD) entry relating to the use of non-lethal munitions, including plastic pellets, by the RAF during the July 20 protest.
According to PTI, the meeting was attended by senior Delhi Police officers and focused on the GD entry recorded at Parliament Street police station on July 22 at 1.24 pm. Officials also discussed the reference to the presence of a senior Delhi Police officer in Zone-1 near Jantar Mantar when the force was allegedly used.
The review comes amid continuing scrutiny over the circumstances in which plastic pellets were fired during the protest and the chain of command under which the decision was taken.
Plastic Pellets Trigger Political Row
Officials have maintained that each round fired from a plastic pellet gun contains four plastic projectiles. They have said these differ from metal pellets and are designed to cause less serious injuries.
However, the reported use of plastic pellets became a major political flashpoint after allegations surfaced that several protesters suffered grievous injuries during the clashes. Multiple Delhi Police, RAF and CRPF personnel were also injured during the violence.
The issue has since sparked political debate and renewed focus on the use of non-lethal crowd-control measures during public demonstrations.
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Sources Say Personnel Followed SOP
On Wednesday, sources indicated that no action is likely to be taken against the security personnel who fired plastic pellets during the protest, as they reportedly acted in accordance with the prescribed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).
According to the sources, the plastic pellets were fired only after repeated attempts to disperse the crowd failed.
The sources further said the decision to use the non-lethal munitions was taken on the orders of a Delhi Police officer of Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) rank at the protest site.
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