Supporters of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) shout slogans as police use a water cannon to stop them from moving towards the office of Akhilesh Yadav, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, during a protest against recent rape and hanging of two girls, in Lucknow in 2014. REUTERS/Pawan Kumar
Police in the northern Indian city of Lucknow plan to use pepper-spraying drones against protesters.
The city’s police chief, Yashasvi Yadav, told AFP his officers have successfully test-flown the newly purchased drones, which are capable of spraying chemical agents on crowds.
“The results were brilliant. We have managed to work out how to use it to precisely target the mob in winds and congested areas,” Yadav told AFP.
“Pepper is non-lethal but very effective in mob control. We can spray from different heights to have maximum results,” he said.
The city’s police force has bought five drones, costing about 600,000 rupees ($9,600) each, with their introduction planned for later this month, he said.
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The unmanned quadcopters also carry high-resolution cameras, and can tote up to two kilograms (4.4 pounds) of pepper spray, flying within a one-kilometer radius of their operator.
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