Student May Lose Vision After Alleged Pellet Injury During Delhi Protest

New Delhi, July 23, 2026

A 19-year-old student injured during the July 20 march on Parliament in New Delhi may permanently lose vision in his right eye, his family says, after he was allegedly struck by a metal pellet during police action against protesters. Delhi Police has denied using pellet guns during the demonstration, even as hospital sources have reportedly said the injury was caused by a metal pellet.

A Grim Prognosis

The injured student, Sahil Lochab, a resident of Najafgarh in southwest Delhi, underwent surgery on July 21 at AIIMS' Jai Prakash Narayan Apex Trauma Centre to remove pellets from his eye. His family says doctors have told them there is only a 1% chance his vision will return, given the severe damage to his pupil, and that he is expected to need a second surgery to assess the injury further.

Sahil is a student at Delhi University's School of Open Learning and had been preparing for competitive exams. His mother, Jyoti, said he had long dreamed of becoming a police officer, and had joined the July 20 protest because he felt strongly about the issue. A close friend said Sahil was struck directly in the eye during the demonstration and remains in significant pain. According to his family, he currently cannot see out of the injured eye at all.

The Pellet Gun Question

Whether pellet guns were used during the police action on July 20 has become a central question in the days since. Delhi Police maintains none were deployed. But Sahil's family says hospital staff told them his injuries were caused by metal pellets, and a hospital source has reportedly confirmed that the pellets recovered during his treatment were metallic rather than plastic.

Sahil was not the only one hurt this way. Shaikh Irshad Mansoori, another protester, also underwent surgery to remove a metal pellet lodged beneath his eye, according to hospital sources. He is expected to need further treatment at another facility better equipped for eye procedures.

Pellet guns, known in official terminology as pump-action guns, are part of the crowd-control equipment used by the Rapid Action Force, the specialised anti-riot wing of the Central Reserve Police Force. RAF personnel were deployed alongside Delhi Police in and around Jantar Mantar on the day of the protest. As of publication, the CRPF had not responded to questions about whether pellet guns were used.

Dozens Injured, One Recovery

The July 20 march saw clashes break out after protesters tried to push towards Parliament. Hospitals had earlier reported treating around 80 injured protesters in the aftermath, and authorities have registered multiple FIRs in connection with the incident, which continues to draw political attention.

Amid the grim updates, there was some relief in the case of another protester. Sakshi, 21, who sustained critical injuries in the same demonstration, has been taken off ventilator support and is now breathing independently, according to a statement from Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. Doctors said she is conscious and responding appropriately to commands, and that MRI scans of her brain and spine came back normal.

With Delhi Police continuing to deny the use of pellet guns and the CRPF yet to issue a formal response, the gap between official accounts and what families and hospitals are describing remains unresolved.

Editor's Note: This report is based on statements from the injured protester's family, hospital sources, official hospital updates, and publicly reported information available at the time of publication. Where official agencies and other sources present differing accounts, those positions have been attributed accordingly.