'Work Fearlessly, I'll Take Responsibility': CRPF Chief Amid Pellet Row

The chief of one of the top central police forces has asked its personnel to perform their duties "fearlessly" and that he would take "responsibility and accountability" for their decisions. Gyanedra Pratap Singh, the Director General of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), gave the pep talk at the central force's investiture ceremony, days after the CRPF's riot-control unit RAF clashed with protesters in the national capital over exam paper leaks.

The Rapid Action Force (RAF) had used pellet guns at the protest, drawing criticism over alleged use of excess force.  

"As the Director General of the CRPF, I want to assure each one of you that whether it is an operational battalion or a law-and-order unit, whatever decisions you take and whatever actions you carry out in the bonafide discharge of your duties, I take responsibility for all those decisions and actions," Singh said.

"Continue to perform your duties fearlessly. Wherever responsibility or accountability needs to be taken, I will take it as the Director General," he said.

Delhi: CRPF Director General Gyanendra Pratap Singh attends the Grand Investiture Ceremony of the CRPF.

He says, "...I want to assure all of you that whether it is our operational battalions or our law and order units, whatever decisions you take and whatever actions you take in… pic.twitter.com/DCW3y92s1F

— IANS (@ians_india) July 29, 2026

Just days ago, he told news agency ANI that a "professional post-event assessment" would be conducted into the actions of the RAF personnel against protesters. The RAF comes under the CRPF and is trained for riot control, crowd management and handling civil unrest. Conducting a "professional post-event assessment" after every major operation is part of the CRPF's standard operating procedure (SOP).

The assessment would review the circumstances under which pellet guns were used and the conditions that led to the action taken against protestors. It will trace the "sequence of events and whether the use of the pellet guns was in accordance with established protocols."

The CRPF has a pan-India presence and is known for its ability to swiftly adjust to diverse situational demands, while collaborating with the state police. It has earned a reputation of being one of the most "widely embraced" forces both by the public and state administrations over the years.

The force has been involved in fighting insurgents in some parts of the northeast region and also Maoists in the heartland. Its Commando Battalions for Resolute Action (CoBRA) operators have fought insurgents in guerrilla and jungle warfare operations.

The CRPF often operates in difficult circumstances where its every decision has no margin for error.

In Manipur, the CRPF shot dead 10 suspected Kuki insurgents in a controversial encounter in November 2024. The insurgents had attacked a village in the state's Jiribam district near the border with Assam. The Kuki tribes alleged they were "volunteers", while the police said they were insurgents.