Pepper sprays, stun guns demand rises

Pepper sprays and even stun guns — women as well as girls are stepping out ‘armed’ from their homes, feeling unsafe after the gangrape and murder of a young woman.

Pepper sprays and even stun guns — women as well as girls are stepping out ‘armed’ from their homes, feeling unsafe after the gangrape and murder of a young woman.

HT Image

Pepper sprays are selling in record numbers since the December 16 incident, say manufacturers, with demand showing no signs of abating in near future.

Unisafe Technologies, manufacturer of one of the most popular sprays in the city, has seen a 200% increase in the sale after the brutalisation the girl faced was reported.

"Earlier, we used to sell about three to four pieces a month but since December 16, two to three sprays are sold a day," said Baljeet Singh, a chemist in Greater Kailash-II M block market. He is one of the 800 city chemists that Unisafe Technologies is a supplier to.

A spray can cost between Rs. 250 and Rs. 500, depending on the size and the make. Those looking for something more “effective and solid” are opting for stun guns.

A stun gun is a non-lethal weapon the size of a mobile phone which at the touch of a button sends out an electric shock that temporarily paralyses the attacker.

"We have seen a 20 to 30% increase in demand for stun guns. Parents of young girls are buying it for their daughters," said Amit Shokeen, who has a security equipment store in Janakpuri. Stun guns are expensive and can cost between R5,000 and Rs. 20,000.

The police say pepper sprays or stun guns are legal, if used in self defence.