Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: The Director General of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Gyanendra Pratap Singh, has assured personnel that he will take full responsibility for their actions carried out in the course of duty, urging them to perform “fearlessly,” days after the force’s riot-control unit RAF clashed with protesters in the national capital over the exam paper leak issue.
RAF’s Use of Pellet Guns Draws Criticism
The Rapid Action Force (RAF), which functions under the CRPF, had used pellet guns during the protest, drawing criticism over allegations of excessive force. Speaking at the central force’s investiture ceremony, Singh said that whether personnel are part of an operational battalion or a law-and-order unit, he takes responsibility for all decisions and actions carried out in the bonafide discharge of their duties, and reiterated that he, as Director General, would bear accountability wherever required.
Post-Event Assessment to Review Use of Pellet Guns
Singh had earlier told news agency ANI that a professional post-event assessment would be conducted into the actions of RAF personnel against protesters, a standard procedure the CRPF follows after major operations. The assessment will examine the circumstances under which pellet guns were used, the sequence of events, and whether the action taken was in accordance with established protocols.
CRPF’s Broader Role and Past Controversial Operations
The CRPF maintains a pan-India presence and is known for adapting quickly to diverse situational demands while working alongside state police forces, having earned a reputation as one of the most widely trusted forces among the public and state administrations. The force has also been involved in counter-insurgency operations in the northeast and against Maoist groups in central India, with its CoBRA commando units engaged in guerrilla and jungle warfare operations. Notably, the CRPF was involved in a controversial encounter in Manipur in November 2024, in which 10 suspected Kuki insurgents were shot dead after an attack on a village in the state’s Jiribam district near the Assam border, an incident the Kuki tribes maintain involved unarmed “volunteers,” while police described those killed as insurgents.
