'Rani' of Jammu and Kashmir police, cynosure of all eyes

Srinagar, May 9 (ANI): A gypsy, used by the Jammu and Kashmir police force during protests or especially during violent agitations for many years, has acquired an unusual reputation for itself. Today, it has turned a cynosure of all eyes here.

Top brass of the police in Srinagar has been relying on the sturdy Maruti Gypsy, named 'Rani' (meaning the Queen) to chase away the stone pelters so as to avoid any unusual casualties, which may be caused to the civilians during violent protests.

According police official here, use of Rani, that has been used by the J-K police for years, reduces the need to use extra deployment of additional force during demnostration.

"We always keep this in mind, that we use minimum force to tackle these protestors, otherwise a lot of money is spent. We use this vehicle in the front line so that there is a usage of minimum force. This van faces stones and its usage tackles many incidents in a nice way," said Parvez Ahmad, Deputy Superintendent of Police of Srinagar.

Ahmad also mentioned that the stone pelting has become a challenge for the government especially in Srinagar city of Jammu and Kashmir in the recent times.

"The year 2008 was the most affected year in terms of law and order. We used this station wagon 'Rani' a lot during the recent agitations. There was a lot of stone pelting. We also used it in the recent Shorpian case," added Parvez Ahmad.

The Maruti Gypsy deployed by the Jammu and Kashmir Police has iron frames on the windscreen and huge locks at the windows to prevent the mischief-makers from harming police personnel inside.

Officials claim that the Maruti Gypsy named 'Rani' has been a great help during any turbulent time, especially during agitations. By Afzal Butt (ANI)