Police offer: Make-at-home chilli spray

Can't afford to buy a pepper spray? The Delhi Police have come up with a do-at-home version - Mirchi Jonkh (loosely translates to chilli burst) - to help women turn the heat on miscreants. Faizan Haider reports. Fiery mix

Can't afford to buy a pepper spray? The Delhi Police have come up with a do-at-home version - Mirchi Jonkh (loosely translates to chilli burst) - to help women turn the heat on miscreants.

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The police have been distributing empty spray bottles with pamphlets explaining the method of preparation, in both Hindi and English, for Mirchi Jonkh.

The campaign was launched in outer Delhi.

"Some bikers were slashing faces of young women. We increased police presence but realised self-defence was the answer," said deputy commissioner of police Chhaya Sharma.

The police, who have handed out 5,000 dispensers so far, are now going to other districts.

"Chilli spray will not only give a sense of security to women, it will also create fear among anti-social elements," said Saurabh Malik of SKMS Memorial Foundation, a voluntary group part of the police campaign.

The idea is catching up.

"It's is great that we can make our own spray as the ones in the market are costly," said Ishnita Keskar, a student at Jamia Millia Islamia.

A note of caution: "It is not a toy and should be used strictly for self-defence."