Facing Criticism Over The Use Of Pellet Guns, Govt Mulls Replacing Lead Pellets With Rubber

Officials from the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) in Kolkata are part of a panel set up by the Centre to see whether rubber pellets can replace lead balls, after the number of life-impairing injuries during the recent Kashmir violence and the protests that followed.

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Rifle Factory Ishapore (RFI), about 30 km from Kolkata, is the only one in the country that makes the .12 bore pump action guns (PAGs) that security agencies use against stone-pelting mobs in Kashmir.

Originally marketed as a non-lethal weapon, the PAGs were issued to central paramilitary forces like the BSF and CRPF for crowd control. BSF personnel manning the India-Bangladesh border were also issued this weapon after Bangladesh complained of excessive use of force by Indian border guards. However, the gun lost its non-lethal tag in Kashmir in the recent weeks following Burhan Wani's death.

One person died and nearly 100 protesters suffered eye injuries after being hit by pellets.

Also Read: Youth Allegedly Killed By Pellet Gun Fired At Point-Blank Range Near Kashmir Hospital

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These guns are not strictly non-lethal unless fired from a distance. If a person receives a full charge at short range, the injury can be fatal. The PAG is effectively a shotgun that is considered lethal during close quarter combat. These guns are used as scatter guns for crowd control by the police in western countries but the pellets are made of rubber. In India, security forces now use the .12 bore 7 mm 'Astram' cartridges. Each cartridge carries a charge of 32 gram of hardened lead pellets.

Also Read: Pellet Gun Injuries Leaving Young Kashmiris Blind, Disfigured And Angry

A PAG can carry four cartridges in its magazine and one in the chamber.

"The government of India has now set up a committee to consider whether the cartridges can be packed with rubber pellets instead of lead ones. Officials from the OFB are also part of the committee," said Ratneshwar Varma, general manager, RFI.

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According to RFI joint general manager C Kamal Kumar, no changes will be required in the .12 bore PAG if the lead pellets are replaced with rubber ones. The factory builds two PAG variants. The one with a 20-inch barrel is meant for civilian use while a smaller one (18-inch barrel) is meant for the security forces.

Also Read: As Parties Fight Over Use Of Pellet Guns In The Valley, More Than 3,300 Soldiers Were Also Injured, Do We Care?

Earlier this year, the State Bank of India signed an MoU with RFI for supply of 11,000 PAGs for its security guards.

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The factory in Ishapore is now building over 1,000 PAGs a month. While 1,000 will go to the bank, the remaining is for the ministry of home affairs to meet orders from central paramilitary forces and state police forces. Even the West Bengal Police has ordered 66 PAGs.

Also Read: Pellet Gun Injuries Leaving Young Kashmiris Blind, Disfigured And Angry

OFB sells a PAG for about Rs 55,000.

"We are expecting more orders for PAGs, particularly from the civilian market. After SBI, other banks may also want to arm their guards with this weapon. In a way, it would be good if rubber pellets are introduced. After all, the law is against the use of more force than is required to prevent a crime. After what happened in Kashmir, people would want to arm their security guards with a weapon that is truly non-lethal," an official said.