Sahil Lochab, a 22-year-old from Najafgarh, is undergoing treatment to save vision in his right eye. A student at Delhi University who works part-time and is preparing to sit the Delhi Police recruitment exam, he was part of the July 20 march, carrying the Tricolour, when – by his own account to his mother – he heard something explode near his face.

Three days on, he has had one eye surgery, and is scheduled for another, says his family. Doctors said the cause of the injuries was a pellet gun, according to his mother and his three friends who were with him that day.

Attempts to obtain medical documentation or comment from AIIMS Trauma Center, where Lochab is admitted, were unsuccessful.

Lochab is the fourth publicly reported case of pellet-like injuries from the July 20 protest. The other three are Sheikh Irshad Mansoori, a Jabalpur man being treated at Lady Hardinge Hospital; an Outlook reporter who was fired upon near Palika Bazar; and a fourth man whose injuries have circulated online, including via Alt News co-founder Mohammad Zubair.

Fake News because Delhi Police Denied it? They denied using it doesn't mean it was not used..It was RAF gear which used the pellet guns. pic.twitter.com/MKwxMrFvoP https://t.co/IFsVH4NZXy— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) July 22, 2026

Fake News because Delhi Police Denied it? They denied using it doesn't mean it was not used..It was RAF gear which used the pellet guns. pic.twitter.com/MKwxMrFvoP https://t.co/IFsVH4NZXy

The Delhi Police have repeatedly denied that their personnel used pellet guns on July 20, beginning with their response to the first such injury, reported by The Hindu, and have since ‘fact-checked” the claim on X. Though the allegation pertains more to the Rapid Action Force – a Central Reserve Police Force wing that has pellet guns and is deployed in large numbers through the ongoing protests. Neither the CRPF nor the RAF has issued a public denial.

Read the story. It mentions that Delhi Police has denied using pellets. Pellet guns and shock-batons are part of RAF gear, which was working alongside Delhi Police and deployed in and around Jantar Mantar on July 20. RAF is a part of CRPF. The central armed police forces are… https://t.co/YPU18VGGO1— Vijaita Singh (@vijaita) July........

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