Deafening weapons to replace CRPF's pellet guns

Hyderabad: Following the uproar over serious injuries, and death in certain cases, caused by the use of ‘non-lethal weapons’ in Kashmir, police forces are working with scientists from the DRDO and other agencies to come up with replacements.

Dozens of people were injured in the eyes when pellet guns were used to quell unrest in the Valley after the death of Burhan Wani of the Hizbul Mujahideen.

The new weapons include long-range acoustic devices, which give off a high-pitched sound which can cause pain, pepper ball launchers and stink bombs that spread a foul smell to drive away mobs. These weapons are being tested in Kashmir. Other weapons include the chilli-based PAVA (Pelargonic Acid Vanillyl Amide) shells and smoke candles.

Trials are being conducted  by the CRPF and DRDO’s Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory at Chandigarh to redesign pellet-firing pump-action guns, which were at the centre of a controversy, to reduce injuries.

The 45th All India Police Science Congress, which concluded three weeks ago in Tiruvanthapuram, Kerala, stressed on use of new non-lethal technologies. A research cell is likely to be constituted by the Bureau of Police Research and Development and CRPF to review use of these weapons.

Use of only tear gas in AP, Telangana
The police in AP and TS has procured both old and new non-lethal weapons but have confined themselves to using only the Vajra water cannons and tear gas shells as there have been no serious agitations in the past few years.

Rachakonda commissioner of police Mahesh Muralidhar Bhagwat said, “We use Vajra water canons, tear gas and rubber pellets for crowd control. Our forces do possess colour grenades that sprinkle colour on agitators which help identify them easily. We also take measures during agitations like road and area blockage, imposing CrPC Section 144 and making preventive arrests.”