Pellet Guns: Are They Legal for Crowd Control in India?

Pellet guns have been a common tool for law‑enforcement agencies in India when managing large gatherings. The recent article from The Hindu seeks to clarify whether the use of these non‑lethal weapons is permitted under Indian law. While the piece outlines the general context in which police deploy pellet guns, it also highlights that the legal framework governing their use is not uniformly defined across the country. The article notes that authorities often rely on existing regulations on firearms and crowd‑control measures, but there is no single, nationwide statute that explicitly authorises or prohibits pellet guns for crowd management. As a result, the legality of pellet guns remains a matter of interpretation, with some states adopting stricter guidelines and others allowing their use under certain conditions.