Kanpur: Keeping the rising crime rate in view, a lightweight revolver called ‘Nirbheek’, designed exclusively for women, was unveiled in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh on Thursday.
The brutal gang-rape of a 23-year-old woman in Delhi in 2012 was the driving force behind the invention of this revolver, which has been designed for the personal safety of women. Men can buy the gun, but it has been primarily pitched for women.
The 0.32 bore revolver weighs only 525gm as opposed to a general revolver that weights 700gm. Made of titanium alloy, the gun has a bullet range of 10-15 meters and is priced at around Rs 1.22 lakhs.
“The lightweight happens to be the crucial feature of the gun which women find it easier to use. It will also help in adding to the popularity of the gun as the material used in the gun is different from others,” said S. N. Pandey, a seller at the Small Arms factory (SAF).
The launch event had many women in attendance. “It is good that we can keep the gun in our purse. It is lightweight and easy to use,” said a woman, Sudha. The revolver is popular in Delhi and Punjab. It is slowly gaining popularity in Jammu and Kashmir too where orders for nearly 100 revolvers have reportedly been placed.
