Chili-Loaded Slingshots to be Used by India Police

Local Editor

Police in northern India will soon use slingshots loaded with chili powder and marbles to tackle disobedient protesters in the world's largest democracy.

Not content with water cannon, tear gas and traditional wooden sticks or lathis, police in Haryana state close to New Delhi will turn to the slingshots as a "non-lethal way" to control violent crowds.

Police inspector general of Hisar district, Anil Kumar Rao, stated that: "it is much better than firing plastic bullets which can cause pretty bad injuries."

Rao, who came up with the idea, further added: "It will be used only in emergency cases so that we can manage minimum collateral damage."

The locally-made slingshots are the latest in a series of unconventional measures adopted by security forces in India, which sees daily protests on a myriad of issues. Some quickly escalate out of control.

Earlier in April last year, police in the northern city of Lucknow said they were introducing pepper-spraying drones to control "mob crowds."

Relatively, critics considered that the marbles could cause serious injury, but Rao said they would be used sparingly and only after the "chili balls" failed.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team