Amnesty accuses unlawful police force against CJP protesters, says no accountability
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Amnesty International has alleged that police used “unlawful and deadly force” against peaceful protesters during the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led Parliament march on July 20, and said no police personnel had been held accountable.
In a report published on Monday, the human rights organisation said it verified witness testimonies and 17 videos showing police using pellet-firing shotguns, tear gas launchers, grenades, batons and electric shock devices between July 20 and 24 in Delhi and Bihar's Siwan.
Amnesty said the use of these weapons breached international law and standards and identified two instances of what it described as unjustified lethal force against crowds.
Videos from Jantar Mantar, Sansad Marg and Connaught Place showed Delhi Police, Rapid Action Force and Central Reserve Police Force personnel using what Amnesty described as excessive force. It said pellet guns were used without prior warning, contrary to the standard operating procedures prepared by the Bureau of Police Research and Development.
The organisation also criticised the use of tear gas directly against protesters, saying it was inconsistent with UN guidance. While it acknowledged instances of stone pelting, it said these were isolated and did not constitute the level of violence required to justify the use of tear gas.
Amnesty said at least eight verified videos showed police officers striking protesters, including a child, with batons. It also identified an RAF officer using a shock baton on a peaceful protester and called for the weapon to be withdrawn.
In Bihar's Siwan, a police officer was suspended after firing an AK-47 during student demonstrations on July 24. Senior officers overseeing the protests were also removed from their positions. Amnesty said it found no evidence of an imminent threat that would have justified the use of the rifle.
The organisation also criticised restrictions imposed on the march, including an internet shutdown and the closure of Metro stations. It said peaceful assemblies should not require prior authorisation under human rights law.
Aakar Patel, chair of Amnesty International India's board, accused authorities of suppressing the protest through communication restrictions, barricades and transport disruptions before using excessive force.
The CJP called off its nationwide agitation on July 25 after then-education minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned and the government assured that students and peaceful protesters would not face punitive action.