Rahul Hits the street

finally fir registered 

metro india news I new delhi

Thousands of young protesters, including a large contingent of Congress workers and Gen-Z supporters, gathered outside the Parliament Street Police Station in central Delhi on Friday as Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi staged a determined sit-in, declaring he would not leave until an FIR was registered in a high-profile case of alleged police brutality.

Gandhi arrived at the police station accompanied by 19-year-old Sahil Lochab (also referred to as Lochav in some reports), who sustained severe injuries during the July 20 student-led demonstration at Jantar Mantar. Lochab, a participant in the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-organised “Sansad Chalo” march protesting alleged NEET paper leaks and systemic failures in India’s education system, was hit by pellets.

Medical reports from AIIMS and Lady Hardinge Hospital indicate more than 200 pellets lodged in his body, including three in his eyes, with vision in one eye at serious risk and some pellets near the heart that surgeons could not remove. Congress sources said Lochab, along with his lawyers, had first approached police on August 14 and submitted a written complaint, later following up via email and phone on August 17.

Authorities allegedly provided neither an investigating officer (IO) number nor any formal acknowledgement. On Friday, Gandhi first visited Mandir Marg Police Station before proceeding to the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) at Parliament Street Police Station. After discussions failed to yield immediate registration of the FIR, Gandhi and Lochab sat on the dharna outside.

“The FIR will be filed. A judicial inquiry will take place. And action will be taken against everyone—from top to bottom—who is guilty of this brutality,” Gandhi posted on X, directly questioning Home Minister Amit Shah. “Amit Shah ji, why are you so scared of justice? This fear shows that you are admitting to your crime.” He reiterated that he would not leave until the complaint was formally registered and an IO assigned. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra soon joined her brother, 

along with senior Congress leaders including Mallikarjun Kharge and Salman Khurshid. Outside, a growing crowd of Congress workers and young supporters raised slogans, with some attempting to push past barricades into the police station premises. Delhi Police responded by reinforcing the area with Rapid Action Force personnel and keeping the gates closed.

The protest is the latest flashpoint in a month-long political confrontation stemming from the July 20 events. On that day, tens of thousands of mostly young demonstrators—many identifying with the satirical yet increasingly serious Cockroach Janta Party movement—gathered at Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of the then Education Minister over repeated paper leaks and broader education reforms.

When sections of the crowd attempted to march toward Parliament, police used lathis, tear gas, and, according to the opposition and injured protesters, pellet guns. Organisers claimed over 150 injuries; rights groups questioned the proportionality of the force used. Congress has consistently held the Union Home Ministry, which controls Delhi Police, responsible. In late July, Gandhi demanded Amit Shah’s resignation, arguing the minister was either “culpable” for ordering the use of lethal force or “incompetent” for not knowing about it.

The government and BJP have rejected the charges, stating that force was used only after elements in the crowd turned violent and pelting stones, and that no pellet guns were fired by Delhi Police personnel. Friday’s sit-in has sharpened the confrontation.

Gandhi’s presence with a visibly injured young victim, the presence of senior party leaders, and the mobilisation of thousands of workers and Gen-Z supporters outside a high-security police station in the heart of the capital underscore the opposition’s determination to keep the issue alive. Congress leaders framed the refusal to register an FIR as a denial of basic constitutional rights and an attempt to shield those responsible for the crackdown.

As evening approached, the standoff continued. Gandhi remained seated with Lochab, insisting that justice for the injured student and accountability for the events of July 20 would not be compromised. The developments are expected to spill over into Parliament and further polarise the already charged political atmosphere surrounding youth unemployment, education integrity, and the limits of protest in the national capital.