NEW DELHI: When Congress leader Rahul Gandhi sat on a dharna at the Parliament Street police station on Friday, alongside 19-year-old Sahil Lochab, his demand was straightforward: an FIR on the complaint of the young protester who suffered pellet injuries during the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) ‘Sansad Chalo’ protest on July 20.For Sahil, the demand for an FIR is the latest stage in a fight that began after the protest left him with serious injuries to his right eye.A PTI report quoted Rahul Gandhi as saying that Sahil had been told that an FIR could not be registered as there were “orders from the top”. A police source said the New Delhi DCP was in touch with Gandhi and that, as the Crime Branch was probing all complaints, Sahil’s complaint would also be forwarded to it.Sahil and his lawyers had gone to the police on August 14 and submitted a written complaint, but no FIR was registered. The matter was pursued again on August 17 through email and phone, with no acknowledgement from police, following which Sahil sought Gandhi’s help.Sahil, a 19-year-old student from Najafgarh, had been preparing for competitive examinations and aspiring to join the police or another uniformed force. A student of Delhi University’s School of Open Learning, he had appeared for the SSC examination and was preparing for the SSC CGL examination. His family said his life revolved around academics and preparing for a government job.“He always wanted to become a police officer. He was studying and preparing for competitive examinations,” his uncle-in-law Ajay Duggal said.On July 20, Sahil had gone to Jantar Mantar for the CJP protest. He had attended the agitation earlier and returned for the ‘Sansad Chalo’ march, telling his family that it was important. His family had tried to stop him.Around 3.30pm, Sahil said, something struck his arm and eye. His arm went numb and, when he touched his eye, he felt as if it was coming out. He held it in place with his hand, ran from the spot and stopped a biker, asking him to take him to Lady Hardinge Hospital.Sahil was later shifted to Safdarjung Hospital and eventually moved to the AIIMS Trauma Centre on July 21. He underwent surgery to repair the damaged eye and remove pellets and was awaiting another operation.One pellet pierced his right eye, causing a corneal perforation, while he also suffered multiple injuries to his face, neck, chest, right shoulder and arm. Another pellet was found lodged in his right lung and in the pericardial fat surrounding the heart.The injury has put his aspirations at risk. “I had hoped to join the police or another uniformed force. If I lose my eye, that dream is over,” Sahil said.Doctors initially told his family there was only a one per cent chance of recovering his vision, though they later offered some reassurance. His visual prognosis was described as “guarded”.His mother Jyoti Lochab spent nearly 12 hours moving from one hospital to another after receiving word that her son had been injured. “He was lying there in pain while we kept being sent from one hospital to another,” she said. Eventually, AIIMS admitted him around 4-5 am the following morning.Originally from Haryana, the family lives in rented accommodation in Najafgarh. Sahil is the eldest of three siblings and his father works as a driver. His mother said the family had pinned its hopes on him securing a government job and sought compensation and a government job for him.Sahil is not the only protester reported to have suffered pellet-like injuries. Twenty-five-year-old Gurugram resident Sheikh Mansoori allegedly sustained seven pellet injuries to his face, including his nose, forehead, both eyes and cheeks. He underwent surgery at Lady Hardinge Medical College and was likely to require another procedure.The alleged use of pellet guns remains disputed. Delhi Police has denied that its personnel used pellet guns during the protest, while Sahil’s family said doctors told them the pellets were made of metal.Now, after weeks of treatment and repeated attempts to get a complaint registered, Sahil’s fight has reached the police station. Standing beside him, Gandhi said, “Till an FIR is registered, we will not budge from here.”(With agency inputs)
