Why are pellet guns used as a ‘non-lethal’ crowd-control measure? | Explained
The story so far: At least one of the 80 protesters injured during the police intervention during the march to Parliament on Monday, July 20, 2026, upon the call of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), was injured with a pellet gun. The victim, identified as Shaikh Irshad Mansoori (25), a resident of Gurugram, underwent surgery at a government hospital to remove pellets stuck under his eye. Most of the pellets lodged in his upper body.
Another video of a woman being stunned with a “stun baton” also emerged on Tuesday, July 21, 2026. The use of pellet guns and stun batons against civilian protesters appears to be a first in Delhi.
What are pellet guns?
They are a non-lethal crowd control method used by police and military around the world. Other popular measures are tear gas, water cannon, pepper spray and stun guns.
Pellet guns are also popular for hunting and pest control. These weapons, which aim to immobilize a person, are effective at short distances up to 500 meters, but can be fatal when fired at close range, especially when hitting sensitive parts such as the eyes. Pellets can penetrate soft tissues.
There are standing instructions to fire at protesters to a minimum and, if necessary, to fire “below the waist.” The cartridge of a pellet gun contains several hundred pellets made of lead and scatters several hundred meters when fired. Pellets can be of various shapes or irregular, such as ball bearings. When fired, the cartridge disperses several hundred pellets over a distance of several hundred meters, depending on its type.
These are manufactured at the Regulation Factory in Ishapore.
How could pellet guns be used in the July 20 protest in Delhi?
While the Delhi Police has denied its use against protesters, pellet guns and stun batons are part of the equipment of the Rapid Action Force (RAF), the anti-riot unit under the CRPF, which was deployed along with police personnel on July 20 and continues to be deployed near the Jantar Mantar protest site.
The victim, Sheikh Irshad Mansoori, was shot by an RAF officer near Palika Bazaar on Monday, July 20, 2026. His friend said he had around 30-40 injuries on his face and all over his body. Four of them penetrated deeply, including one in his neck, so he had to undergo surgery.
Mr. Mansoori, originally from Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh, worked for a private company in Gurugram and was participating in protests in solidarity. He also had some visa-related work to finish in New Delhi after the protest on Monday, July 20, 2026.
What is the first known use of pellet guns?
Pellet guns were first used in Jammu and Kashmir, following the riots in the Kashmir Valley in the summer of 2010, which left 112 protesters dead in police firing. The then Congress-led government of the Center deployed pellet guns as a “non-lethal” measure to prevent civilian deaths.
After violent protests broke out in the Kashmir Valley after July 8, 2016 – Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) commander Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter with security forces – many people went blind due to injuries sustained from pellet guns used by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) as a crowd control measure.
Why and when were its features changed?
In 2016, the BJP-PDP government faced severe criticism for its use of pellet guns, with many political parties demanding its complete withdrawal. In 2016, 13 people lost their lives, more than 250 people were injured, and very few people lost their sight due to injuries caused by pellet guns.
A year later, in 2017, the first batch of less lethal “rubber bullets” were sent to the Kashmir Valley. The rubber bullets were tested at the Terminal Ballistic Research Laboratory (TBRL) in Chandigarh and were said to be capable of being fired from weapons already owned by security forces. The ammunition had a plastic cap instead of metal.
In 2016, 1,022 CRPF personnel were also injured during stone pelting by protesters. During the events between July 8 and 16, 956 people were injured in stones thrown into the Valley.
What is the last known use of pellet guns in the country?
These were last known to have been used in 2024 during the farmers’ protest at Khanuari and Shambhu Barrier on the Punjab-Haryana border. Although police denied the use of pellet guns, farmer leaders claimed that many people were injured.
They were used against protesters in Manipur, which was torn by ethnic conflict in 2023, leading to widespread public outrage.
What about stun batons?
Stun batons are also part of RAF personnel equipment.
In 2021, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), through the Border Security Force (BSF), set Qualitative Requirements (QRs) for hand-held ‘Stun Batons’ for self-defence and operational use by security personnel. It was stated that the equipment should be light, its maximum weight should be 1 kg and its length should be between 450 mm and 700 mm, providing ease of transportation and use. It must be made of high-impact material that can operate reliably at temperatures between -20°C and +50°C and offers minimal water resistance.
The stun baton must have a lifespan of at least five years and be powered by a rechargeable battery. Additional requirements include the ability to deliver at least 1,000 quarter-second shock bursts on a full charge, thus ensuring sustainable operational effectiveness under field conditions.
It was published – 22 July 2026 11:06 IST
