Jammu and Kashmir: CRPF announces reward for anyone who can suggest alternatives for pellet guns
CRPF says it will give credit to person who comes up with replacement idea for the gun
Under fire, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has announced to reward the people who will suggest alternatives to the controversial pellet guns.
Additional Director General (ADG) of the CRPF VSK Kaumudi said the force is open to any suggestion for any alternatives to the pellet guns.
"If there is any alternative which people can suggest, it will be good. If anyone suggests (any alternative) he is most welcome. If he gives us a very good suggestion I think we can even reward him. If anyone has any alternative in mind or has read anything (about alternatives) he should tell us, said Kaumudi.
The statement comes at a time when clamour is growing for the ban on the use of the pellet guns given its lethal impact on the people.
Global Human Rights watchdog Amnesty International has launched online postcard campaign calling for the ban on the pump action shotguns.
Amnesty International has claimed that the pellet-firing have been responsible for killing, blinding and injuring thousands of people in Kashmir. Figures released by Amnesty said the use of pellet shotguns have killed at least 14 people.
Hospital figures reveal that over 1100 people mostly teenagers have suffered injuries in their eyes when security forces fired pellet munitions to quell the violent mobs across Kashmir during the five months of the separatist sponsored unrest in 2016.
In an affidavit filed in the J&K high court in 2016 in response to a Public Interest Litigation seeking ban on the pellets, the CRPF said from July 9 to August 11 2016, it has fired over '3000' pellet cartridges (1.6 million pellets) each containing 450 metallic balls. "3765 cartridges of 9 numbers have been fired from the pump action guns.
1,100 injured
Hospital figures reveal that over 1100 people mostly teenagers have suffered injuries in their eyes when security forces fired pellet munitions to quell the violent mobs across Kashmir during the five months of the separatist sponsored unrest in 2016