Indian Police Used Excessive Force During Protests: Amnesty International

Indian police employed excessive force, including the use of electric shock devices and pellet guns, against youth-led protests that ultimately led to the education minister's resignation in July, Amnesty International stated on August 24. The human rights group's report challenges the police's assertion that force was only deployed after protesters initiated violence. This comes as India's Supreme Court has established a panel to investigate alleged violence committed by both police and demonstrators.

“

pellet-firing shotguns, tear gas launchers, grenades, batons and electric shock devices against protesters

Amnesty International reported that verified witness testimonies and visual evidence confirmed the deployment of "pellet-firing shotguns, tear gas launchers, grenades, batons and electric shock devices against protesters" in both the capital, New Delhi, and the eastern state of Bihar. The report also documented two instances in Bihar's Siwan district where a police officer allegedly used lethal force unlawfully against a crowd, though no fatalities were reported.

“

unlawfully using lethal force against a crowd

The rights group asserted that the weapons were used in a manner that violated international law, standards, and domestic policing guidelines. While acknowledging "isolated incidents of protesters throwing stones," Amnesty concluded that the "heavy-handed response was state-sanctioned violence masked as crowd control." Delhi Police, however, informed the Supreme Court that force was only used after protesters "resorted to violence," adding that "anti-social elements masquerading as aggrieved students" had caused "grievous injuries" to security forces.

“

The weapons were deployed in a manner that breached international law and standards and domestic policing guidelines

Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi participated in a sit-in protest outside a Delhi police station on August 21, supporting a 19-year-old protester who claimed to have been injured by pellets during a demonstration on July 20. Gandhi called for a police investigation into the incident, and a case was subsequently registered based on the complaint. The protests, initially sparked by the leak of the national medical entrance test, evolved into a broader movement addressing unemployment and youth opportunities, with critics pointing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's increasingly authoritarian governance.

“

heavy-handed response was state-sanctioned violence masked as crowd control