Kerala Police to procure more tear gas munitions

Kochi, Nov 16 (PTI) Kerala Police will procure additional tear gas munitions used when protest marches go out of control and to disperse violent mobs.

The state government has approved the purchase of 7,500 tear gas munitions following a request from the police.

According to a Home department order issued on October 29, permission has been granted to procure ammunition worth Rs 77.13 lakh from the Tear Smoke Unit of the Border Security Force (BSF), Tekanpur, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh.

A senior official at the police headquarters said tear gas munitions are maintained by Armed Reserve Camps in the district.

"Based on its depleting stock, we ordered more munitions. Regularly, we procure it from BSF," he said.

Last month, Kozhikode Police used tear gas and grenades at Perambra to disperse the crowd of Congress activists, including MP Shafi Parambil, causing them injuries.

As per the Kerala Police Manual, tear smoke may be used for dispersing mobs.

According to the manual, "It affects chiefly the eyes, thereby causing tears to flow, and an instinctive desire on the part of the affected individuals to get out of the area into fresh air". Tear smoke causes no bodily injury, and persons affected recover in about half an hour in fresh air, it adds.

"Therefore, its employment in dispersing mobs will not give rise to rancour against the Police, which may result from lathi action or firing. It will act against all parts of the mob equally and not only those who happened to be in front," it said.

The manual also notes that if the crowd becomes defiant and the use of tear smoke, lathi charge, or both is inexpedient or fails in their purpose, police may resort to the use of firearms.

Police officers are trained in mob dispersal, including the use of tear gas and lathis, during a month long programme at the Police Training College. PTI TBA TBA ADB