Congress leader Rahul Gandhi ended his over-six-hour dharna at the Parliament Street police station here on Friday (August 21, 2026), after an FIR was registered on a complaint from a young man who has suffered pellet injuries and said this is the first step towards justice.
The intense protest began earlier in the day when Rahul Gandhi accompanied 19-year-old student Sahil Lochab and his mother to demand action. Sahil had suffered severe pellet gun injuries during a recent protest in the capital, leaving pellets lodged near his eye and body, putting his eyesight at serious risk. According to Congress leaders, local police had refused to register an FIR for over a week, claiming they had "orders from the top".
Refusing to leave without official action, Rahul Gandhi sat on the floor outside the station officer room and vowed to stay as long as needed until police took the complaint. Soon after, top party leaders including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and hundreds of party workers joined the dharna, raising strong slogans against the police and government.
Under mounting political pressure, Delhi Police finally issued the official FIR copy late in the evening under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Displaying the FIR document to reporters, Rahul Gandhi called it the "first step towards justice" for the injured youth before calling off the protest. The case will now be handed over for a detailed investigation into who used pellet weapons against student protesters.
