Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Monday rapped the Centre on use of pellet guns by paramilitary forces and asked it to explain why the injuries suffered by people are above the knees -- mostly in eyes -- despite claims of having trained law-enforcing agencies.
"You are discharging the duty of controlling a mob, the crowd, but in a civilised society how you control a mob, because they are your own people, they are not aliens, they have not descended from outer space with their own pellets throwing on you. Treat them as your own people.
"You are not treating them as your own people," a division bench of the court observed here while hearing a PIL.
The bench, comprising Chief Justice N Paul Vasanthakumar and Justice Muzaffar Hussain Attar, said the government claims CRPF personnel were trained to handle the pellet guns but it did not explain how the people were suffering injuries above their knees and mostly in their eyes then.
"You are not explaining how the injuries are suffered above knee, mostly the eyes are damaged. You are not explaining that. If you are trained, you are saying many things about their training, but you are not saying why the people are suffering injuries above knees and then their eyes are mostly damaged. You are not saying that," the court told Assistant Solicitor General of India.
The Centre in its response before the court said that CRPF personnel deployed in Jammu and Kashmir for maintaining law-and-order duties are experienced and fully trained to use anti-riot equipment.
Each functional battalion of CRPF has seven companies, out of which one company is always put under training on rotation basis to refresh their operational skills and acquaint themselves with the latest technology.
They are not companies formed by collecting trainees/ recruits from training centre, the Centre said.
It also said in pursuance to the Ministry of Home Affairs order dated May 26, 60 companies of CRPF (including two Mahila companies) are currently deployed in Jammu and Kashmir for security arrangements during Amarnath Yatra with effect from June 18 till completion of the Yatra.
Fifty four training/reserve companies were also deployed additionally in the Kashmir Valley for maintaining law-and- order situation. These companies are fully trained to use anti-riot equipment etc in law-and-order duties, the Centre said.
