New Delhi: Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Director General GP Singh had on Monday, July 27, assured the country’s largest paramilitary force that he would personally take responsibility for the actions of its personnel during the recent anti-NEET protests, while adding that those found to have acted recklessly would face disciplinary action under the force’s rules.
Addressing personnel at the CRPF investiture ceremony coinciding with the force’s Raising Day, Singh said, “As DG of CRPF, I want to assure each one of you that whether it is an operational battalion or law-and-order unit, whatever decisions you carry out in the bona fide discharge of your duties and which are aligned with interests of the public, the force and the nation, I shall take responsibility for all those decisions and actions.”
“Continue to perform your duties fearlessly. Wherever responsibility or accountability needs to be taken, I will take it as the Director General,” he added.
A formal communication in this regard has also been sent to the field formations of the force, which handles various internal security duties, including riot and crowd control.
Officials told news agency PTI that the top brass has “lauded” the endurance and patience exhibited by the personnel during “a difficult situation.” The message did not specify a time frame.
The assurances come in the backdrop of the CRPF headquarters ordering the Rapid Action Force (RAF) to inquire into allegations that its personnel used disproportionate force and fired pellet guns during student protests against the NEET paper leak in Delhi, including charges of firing on protesters during the “Sansad Chalo” march on July 20.
When asked whether the force had determined if pellet guns were used against protesters on July 20, Singh said, “Now, since the agitation has been called off and assembled people have dispersed, we would make a professional post-event assessment, as we do after every major assignment, and then let you know the view of the Force Headquarters.”
According to the Times of India, CRPF’s post-event assessment has already concluded that all standard operating procedures (SOP) and laid-down protocols were followed by RAF personnel during the police action on July 20. The assessment found that the force gradient had been followed, with pellet guns being resorted to only after lower-grade measures, including crowd dispersal warnings, tear gas and lathicharge, failed to control elements in the mob.
Officials said the ongoing probe is “comprehensively” examining the conduct of RAF and CRPF jawans, field company commanders and some superior officers, and is recording their statements. The probe is specifically looking into nine to 10 allegations depicted against RAF/CRPF personnel in multiple social media videos and press reports, in addition to instances where a few jawans were left stranded and attacked by miscreants.
A formal Court of Inquiry (CoI) will be initiated only if the RAF/CRPF probe establishes that the troops’ actions were unjustified or violated SOPs, officials told PTI. They added that the decision to use a weapon of choice rests solely with the jawan on the ground, but that such a decision must be justified and based on rationale.
A source told TOI that no case may be made out against RAF personnel for injuring three to five protesters with metal pellets. “Even if a case is registered against RAF personnel under Section 117 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (voluntarily causing hurt), Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita will kick in, mandating grant of prosecution sanction with the approval of the CRPF DG. At that point, the DG can justify the use of authorised force by RAF personnel to deny prosecution sanction,” an officer told TOI
.The over a month-long student protest by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) over the NEET examination question paper leak ended last week after then Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned from his post, acceding to the main demand of the protesters.
(With inputs from PTI and Times of India)
This post was last modified on July 30, 2026 12:39 pm