No ban on pellet guns: Centre

Clearing all ambiguity on the use of pellet guns, the government on Tuesday told the Lok Sabha that the forces have been allowed to use pellet guns once other non-lethal measures like PAVA-Chilli (shells and grenades), STUN-LAC (shells and grenades), and tear smoke shells fail to disperse the rioters.

In the aftermath of wide-scale condemnation of pellet guns, causing grievous injuries, the Union home ministry had constituted an expert committee in July last year to suggest possible alternatives of non-lethal weapons.

Following the committee’s recommendations, the Union Home Ministry had said that pellet guns would be used in the rarest of rare cases after all methods to calm down the agitators fail.