Prashant, a graphic artist, had joined the protest “to take a stand”. (Photo: Special Arrangement)Prashant, a 25-year-old artist from Delhi, can feel the pellets lodged in his arms. “The doctors have removed many of them, but a few still remain deep inside the tissue,” he told The Indian Express at Lok Nayak Hospital on Monday evening. He had come to the hospital for follow-up medical advice on the pellet injuries that he had sustained during the Cockroach Janta Party’s July 20 protest in the capital.Hospital records from Lady Hardinge Hospital dated July 20 show that Prashant was injured in the chest, right upper limb, and inguinal (groin) region.Dr Himani Ahluwalia, Director of Lady Hardinge Hospital, told The Indian Express, “Pellets can be made of lead, steel, or even plastic. The ones lodged near the surface of the skin can be removed with forceps, but those lodged deeper in the muscle are difficult to extract. We keep them under observation.”Dr Ahluwalia said patients hurt by pellets receive the same treatment as those with a puncture wound, and are advised to follow up across various departments. prashant said that he drew inspiration for his art from what he saw around him, and from issues “that affect the poor”. (Photo: Special Arrangement)The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is learnt to have found that a person from its Rapid Action Force (RAF) who was deployed in the Connaught Place area during the July 20 protest had fired at least seven rounds from his pellet gun. Five rounds hit protesters, sources have told The Indian Express.Prashant, a graphic artist, had joined the protest “to take a stand”. He said that he drew inspiration for his art from what he saw around him, and from issues “that affect the poor”. He had been visiting Jantar Mantar since the protest began on June 6, he said.“I wanted to understand why people were protesting, what their concerns were. I was documenting the protest, and I would put the protesters on canvas. The protest was beautiful; how could I not capture what was unfolding around me,” he said.Story continues below this adPrashant described the scene in Connaught Place on July 20: “Around the inner circle, chaos was unfolding. On one side stood the protesters, on the other, the police. The protesters were throwing stones, and the police responded with lathicharges and tear gas. Men in blue uniforms (RAF) were all around us.” Prashant said he was documenting the protest, and would put the protesters on canvas. (Photo: Special Arranegement)Prashant said he repeatedly urged the protesters not to throw stones, and pleaded with the police to not beat them. “I was hit on the legs by a lathi while trying to save a friend. The police were beating us brutally,” he said.“The acrid smell and haze of the tear gas made it hard to see anything. Suddenly, I felt something hit my right arm, and realised that a security personnel had shot at me. My body went into a shock. The force was hard enough to throw me back a few feet,” Prashant said.“I was wearing a full-sleeved black T-shirt. The blood dripped down to my fingers. My hands quickly swelled up,” he said.Credit for photos: Special ArrangementTabshir Shams covers health for The Indian Express. He holds a Master's degree in International Relations from South Asian University. Before joining The Indian Express, he interned at The Hindu from December 2025 to June 2026, where he assisted in the research and editing of a book on delimitation published by The Hindu Group Publications. During this time, he also wrote for The Hindu's Text & Context section, on subjects ranging from Pakistan's military establishment to Bangladesh's elections, and reported a Spotlight feature on a jute mill in Samastipur and its ripple effects on labour migration and the local economy. In July 2025, he interned at The Indian Express, where he wrote several explainers on international relations alongside a health report. His Master's thesis examines civil-military relations in Pakistan, with a focus on the post-2019 period. ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on InstagramTags:Cockroach Janta PartyJantar Mantar