Court to probe alleged overuse of pellet guns in policing crackdowns

Apex court says it will examine particular incidents during which the police used pellet guns indiscriminately or arbitrarily in violation of the standard regulations mapping graded responses for crowd control

Reported by 2 sources

The Hindu — National →The Hindu — National →

Quick Revision

Prelims-testable facts

01The Supreme Court has stated that the use of pellet guns is part of a graded police response in exceptional circumstances.
02The Centre was directed to explain the rules governing the use of pellet guns by police during protests.
03The Supreme Court will examine particular incidents where the police used pellet guns indiscriminately or arbitrarily.
04Pellet guns cannot be banned as long as the existing advisory permits their use for crowd control in exceptional circumstances.
05The Supreme Court is framing a comprehensive protocol on pellet gun use during protests.
06The Centre was asked to place on record all relevant standing orders and protocols governing the use of pellet guns by law enforcement agencies.
07The matter stems from a petition challenging the alleged use of metallic pellets during a July 20 crackdown on students protesting the NEET-UG paper leak.

Trap alerts

Most people think that pellet guns are banned in India, but actually they can be used in exceptional circumstances under existing advisory guidelines.
Most people think that the Supreme Court has completely prohibited the use of pellet guns, but actually it is examining specific incidents where their use was arbitrary or indiscriminate.

Current-affairs link

The Supreme Court's decision to frame a comprehensive protocol on pellet gun use during protests is related to its previous judgment in Ishrat Jahan vs. Union of India (2017), which dealt with the use of pellet guns by security forces in Kashmir.

Mains Practice Question

Critically examine the implications of a graded police response on crowd control, particularly in exceptional circumstances.

250 words

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Prelims Practice MCQs

Single facteasy

The use of pellet guns is part of which type of police response?

A.Standard procedure for riot control
B.Graded response in exceptional circumstances
C.Emergency protocol for high-risk situations
D.Routine crowd management strategy

The use of pellet guns is part of a graded police response, which is employed in exceptional circumstances to manage crowds.

Single factmedium

What will the Supreme Court examine during its review?

A.The use of tear gas in protests
B.Incidents where police used pellet guns indiscriminately or arbitrarily
C.The effectiveness of non-lethal crowd control methods
D.The role of social media in fueling public unrest

The Supreme Court will examine incidents where the police used pellet guns indiscriminately or arbitrarily, which is a violation of standard regulations.

Single fact

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