Ban use of pellet guns against protesters: Amnesty International to J&K govt
Srinagar: Human rights watchdog Amnesty International (AI) has asked the Jammu and Kashmir authorities to prohibit the use of pellet-firing shotguns in policing demonstrations saying these weapons are “inherently inaccurate and indiscriminate”.
This comes days after a 16-year-old youth Hamid Nazir Bhat was seriously injured and lost vision in one eye after police fired a pellet gun to quell a protest demonstration in Palhalan area of north-western Baramulla district.
AI said on Thursday that the police in J&K has used pellet shotguns for a number of years and that several cases have been reported of people suffering serious injuries. “The police have a duty to protect lives and safety and prevent violent crime. However in carrying out this duty they must as far as possible use non-violent means,” said Shemeer Babu, Programmes Director at AI (India). He added, “When the use of force is unavoidable because of compelling reasons, it should be only what is strictly necessary and to the extent required.”
The state authorities including police have been maintaining that the pellet guns are ‘no-lethal’ weapons, which are used, only in extreme situations.
Local political and human rights groups question the claim.
Pellet firing shot guns fire a large number of small pellets spreading over a wide range. Sources in the J&K police said that the pellet gun cartridges most commonly used in the state contain 400-500 plastic pellets, resembling ball bearings.
AI said, “In policing protests, the police must also distinguish between persons engaging in violence and peaceful demonstrators or bystanders. Any force used should be only against those acting violently, and the police should always ensure that non-involved persons are protected from injury.” It also said, “When the police are trying to contain violent persons, it is important that they focus any use of force accurately at those individuals. However, pellet guns cannot ensure well-targeted shots and risk causing serious injury, including to bystanders or other protesters not engaging in violence. These risks are almost impossible to control.”
The statement further said, “Because of this high potential to cause unwarranted injury, including to bystanders and others, pellet guns should have no place in law enforcement.” It quoted Javaid Gillani, the Inspector General of police (Kashmir range), as saying that the state police are instructed to use pellet guns only when protests go out of control. “There is a standard operating procedure that is followed in such situations, and police fire the pellet guns from a safe distance”, he said. However the IG acknowledged that the pellets, when fired, do not have a predictable trajectory, AI said.
