Indian Home Ministry sends 5,000 more pellet guns in IOK
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ISLAMABAD (APP): Indian Home Ministry has made fresh authorisation of over 5,000 pump action guns, widely known as pellet guns, for its forces deployed in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
According to Kashmir Media Service, around nine pellet guns will be available with every company comprising around 120 personnel.
More than six lakh matching cartridges, commonly referred to as pellet-shots, have also been authorised, up from 1.25 lakh last year, DNA India reported.
The authorization has been made despite the ministry had promised last year to restrict the use of pellet guns against civilian protesters and explore other options.
Currently, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has 640 pump action guns, but in the coming months more than 4,000 will be procured.
The idea is to adequately equip every unit of the paramilitary with the lethal weapon to deal with crowd in demonstrations, Indian media reported.
"Earlier, pump action guns were available with only those units facing civilian protests and demonstrations like those in downtown Srinagar,'' said a CRPF commander, adding that these protests have now spread across the Valley to even villages in south and north Kashmir.
"It has become necessary that every company has adequate `non-lethal' weapons. Now, these guns will form part of every company,'' he added.
Indian Home Minister, Pallet Guns, IOK, Indian Force, Human right violations
