Full Breakdown
Amnesty International Accuses Indian Police of Unlawful Force During July Protests
8/24/2026, 9:53:20 PM
Police Use of Excessive Force in Delhi and Bihar
Amnesty International released a digital investigation documenting that Indian police deployed pellet-firing shotguns, tear-gas launchers, grenades, batons and electric-shock devices against youth-led demonstrators in New Delhi and Siwan, Bihar between July 20 and July 24, 2026. The rights group says the weapons were used in a manner that breaches international law, human-rights standards and domestic policing guidelines. Amnesty also verified two instances in which a police officer employed lethal force against a crowd, though no fatalities were recorded.
Background: Exam Leak and Escalation
The protests began after a leak of the national medical entrance test prompted thousands of students to march toward Parliament on July 20. Demonstrators, organized in part by the online “Cockroach Janta Party,” expanded their demands to include broader issues such as unemployment and perceived authoritarian tendencies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The unrest forced the education minister to resign in July 2026.
Amnesty International Findings
Amnesty’s Evidence Lab cross-checked witness testimony with video and photographic material, confirming the deployment of the listed weapons in both Delhi and Bihar.
Official Police Account
Delhi Police, speaking in a Supreme Court hearing, maintain that force was applied only after protesters “resorted to violence.”
Political Repercussions
Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi staged a sit-in outside a Delhi police station with a 19-year-old protester injured by pellets, demanding a police investigation. Officers subsequently registered a case over the complaint. The Supreme Court has also constituted a panel to investigate violence by both police and demonstrators. The episode represents the most significant challenge to Modi’s third-term government since his 2024 re-election.
