SRINAGAR: The Paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force men are being trained on use of pellet and pava shell guns before their deployment in Kashmir after last year’s unrest, reports say. The paramilitary personnel deployed in Valley are being additional training on how to tackle and deal with the law and order situation, CRPF spokesman in Srinagar, Mr. Bhuvesh Chaudhary said. “The CRPF men are being trained in use of pellet and pava shell guns, handling pellet guns, pava shell guns and other non-lethal weapons,” he said. The main focus is to train the personnel and officials in dealing with the law and order situation, he added. ‘Once the training is over they will be deployed in the Valley to help maintain law and order,” the CRPF spokesman said. Kashmir witnessed major law and order problems in 2015 for five months after violence broke out following the killing of 21-year-old Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in an encounter with security forces in South Kashmir’s Kokernag area. The paramilitary personnel have to follow the security drill on use of pellet guns, the CRPF spokesman said. The personnel do not have to use pellets in every situation. It depends on the situation and the requirements to deal with the trouble,” he said. Mr. Chaudhary said, if situation turns out to be grave and there is threat to the life of the CRPF personnel and public property, then the personnel have no option but to use the pellet guns. “It (pellet gun) are used in extreme situation and as a last resort, he added. ]]>
