Sahil Lohchab, who was injured by a pellet gun during the CJP Parliament March in Delhi on July 20, still has two pellets lodged in his eye. Despite undergoing two surgeries, doctors have reportedly given him little hope of recovering his eyesight.
Sahil said he was preparing for the Delhi Police recruitment examination and also worked part-time as a driver to support his family.
When protests began at Jantar Mantar over alleged irregularities in examinations, Sahil went there to support the protesting students.
Sahil alleged that his family approached the police several times to register an FIR, but their complaint was not acted upon. On August 21, Rahul Gandhi staged a protest outside the Parliament Street Police Station for nearly six hours, after which an FIR was registered based on the complaint.
Here are excerpts from Sahil’s interview about what happened during the July 20 protest, how he was injured by the pellet gun and how he later came in contact with Rahul Gandhi.
Q1: What happened on July 20?
Sahil:
“I had gone to the CJP protest. A lathi-charge began at Jantar Mantar. We moved towards the Connaught Place circle along with the crowd. Tear gas shells were fired first. I had the Indian flag in my hand. That was when a pellet gun was fired at me. I became numb.”
Q2: What happened after you were hit by the pellets?
Sahil:
“When my condition deteriorated, I was taken to Lady Hardinge Hospital. I was kept there for around six to seven hours, after which I was shifted to Safdarjung Hospital. From there, I was referred to AIIMS.
“I was first taken to the AIIMS Eye Centre and then shifted to the Trauma Centre.
“I have undergone two surgeries on my eye, but I still cannot see. The doctors have given me a month to see whether there is any improvement. The chances of my eyesight returning are very low.
“The nerves in my right hand are still compressed. Two pellets are still lodged in my eye. I remained unconscious for around four to five days.”
Q3: Why did you join the students’ protest at Jantar Mantar?
Sahil:
“I was against the NEET paper leak and irregularities in examinations. I wanted to contribute to the protest, which is why I joined the Parliament March on July 20.”
Q4: Did you try to file an FIR yourself?
Sahil:
“On August 14, my mother and our lawyer went to the police station, but the FIR was not registered. We also sent a complaint by post and emailed the Delhi Police, but no FIR was registered. We did not even receive an acknowledgement of our complaint.”
Q5: How many times did you visit the police station? Which officers did you meet?
Sahil:
“We went to the police station two or three times. No senior officer was even willing to speak to us. We also went to the Crime Branch, but our complaint was not heard there either. We were not getting any response.”
Q6: How did you get in touch with Rahul Gandhi? Did he contact you directly?
Sahil:
“About five days later, Rahul Gandhi’s team contacted my mother and asked about my health. We told them that our FIR was not being registered.
“They then called us. On the morning of August 21, we went to meet him. After that, we first went to the Connaught Place police station with him.
“I consider myself fortunate to have met Rahul Gandhi.”
Q7: Who all are there in your family?
Sahil:
“There are three brothers in our family. My father, Deepak, is disabled. Along with my studies, I was also helping support the family financially. Things have become difficult now.”
Sahil’s Mother Jyoti: ‘I Was Terrified When I Heard About the Incident’
Q: When did you learn about your son’s injury?
Jyoti:
“Sahil left home at around 10 am on July 20. When he did not answer his phone even by 3 pm, I became very worried.
“Later, we received a call from Lady Hardinge Hospital informing us that our son Sahil had been injured. We immediately went to the hospital.”
Q: When did you learn that he had been hit by a pellet gun?
Jyoti:
“We were watching the news on television. We thought he might have suffered an injury to his hand, but we did not know that a pellet gun had been fired. We came to know about it only after reaching the hospital.”
Other Protesters Injured During the Demonstration
Sheikh Irshad Mansoori, 25:
He suffered pellet injuries to his face and neck. The pellets were surgically removed at Lady Hardinge Hospital, and he was discharged on July 24.
Prashant Kumar Singh, 25:
He sustained injuries to his right hand, chest and thigh area. He was treated at Lady Hardinge Hospital. A subsequent X-ray reportedly showed that at least 10 pellet fragments remained lodged in his body.
