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More than 150 pellets remain lodged inside the body of Sahil Lochav, a 20-year-old student pellet gun victim from Najafgarh who participated in the July 20 protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar. 

Some of the pellets pierced his chest and stopped extremely close to his heart, said Sahil in an exclusive interview with ABP News. Had they travelled slightly deeper, he said, the injuries could have proved fatal. 

Sahil also said pellets are lodged behind his eye, while another is reportedly dangerously close to a blood vessel in his brain. The Delhi University student recently gained attention after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi came out in his support to get an individual FIR booked over the pellet gun injuries. 

The Central Police Reserve Force has admitted that its riot-control wing, the Rapid Action Force, used pellet guns to disperse the protestors at Jantar Mantar on July 20. A probe on the use of the shotgun in the national capital is underway.

Surgery Followed By Days Of Struggle For FIR

Sahil underwent surgery on the night of July 22. He said that after the procedure, he and his mother spent several days trying to get an FIR registered over the incident.

Sahil claimed that despite submitting an online complaint and sending an email, the police did not register an FIR. He eventually went to Parliament Marg police station with Rahul Gandhi in recent days. Following a protest that lasted around six to seven hours, Delhi Police registered an FIR, according to Sahil.

The prolonged effort to get the case registered has added another layer to his ordeal, coming after the injuries he says he suffered during the July 20 clash.

‘No CJP Office-Bearer Has Contacted Me’

Sahil also said that no office-bearer of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), including Abhijeet Deepke, has contacted him so far following the incident.

However, Sahil said he has no regret about the lack of contact. Speaking in a subdued tone, he expressed hope that people from the CJP would reach out to him in the future.

His comments come as he continues to recover from the injuries and deal with the consequences of the incident.

Who is Sahil Lochav?

Sahil Lochav is from Haryana, while his family lives in Delhi's Najafgarh area. His father works as a driver, and Sahil is the eldest of three siblings.

He is a student at the University of Delhi's School of Open Learning. Alongside his studies, Sahil had been preparing for the SSC CGL examination and police recruitment exams. His ambition, he said, was to join the police force and serve the public.

More than 150 pellets lodged in his body, injuries reportedly close to his heart and a blood vessel in his brain, followed by his struggle with his mother to get an FIR registered, have made Sahil's account a stark one. His experience also raises questions about accountability and the response of the police and the wider system after the July 20 clash.