Forces in Jammu and Kashmir get new crowd-control weapons

After prime minister Manmohan Singh said last week non-lethal ways should be adopted to control mobs in the Valley, security forces fighting stone-pelters in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) have armed themselves with such weapons. After 64 deaths and three months of unrest, law enforcing agencies have finally introduced pepper guns, pump action guns and taser guns to curb street clashes in J&K. Police have been using these guns for the past two weeks.The guns are perfect to manage crowds without inflicting serious wounds. For instance, a pepper gun fires three small pepper balls in one shot. The bullets burst in the crowd, causing suffocation and sneezing. The gun can hold 80 small balls, which can be fired continuously. Pump action gun is the favorite among security forces managing crowds. It is a long rifle loaded by a cylindrical bullet having 80 small pellets. The bullet bursts immediately after it is released and pellets spread in different directions, injuring people. “This gun is to be used carefully. We have to fire it from around 80 metres to avoid causing grievous injuries. It can be lethal if it is fired from close range,” a J&K Police officer said.Taser guns are small pistol-type weapons used to stun mobs. They release 900 watts of current in one go. “This gun is used to stun a suspect, so that s/he does not move. It is effective particularly when a mob attacks police or a security force vehicle,” the officer said. All station house officers, sub-divisional police officers and superintendents of police of sensitive areas have been given these guns.