The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has issued notices to the Mehbooba Mufti government and the Centre asking them to reply to a Public Interest Litigation that has sought a ban on the use of pellet guns, reported The Indian Express. Chief Justice N Paul Vasanthakumar and Justice Ali Mohammad Magray on Tuesday asked the state, central government, police and the Central Reserve Police Forces to file their responses by August 17.

In the petition, the Kashmir High Court Bar Association asked the court for directions to stop the use of pellet guns by the Indian Army to handle protestors in the Valley. The petitioners said, "The use of pellet guns and firing cartridges containing 500 to 600 metallic pellets at unarmed protesting youth is direct infringement of provisions of constitution in particular Article 21 of the constitution."

While issuing notices, the Division bench said it will not pass an interim order in the case because the Centre has assured them that the pellet guns will be used only in exceptional cases. “Those safeguards are already in place and some observations have been already made in other PILs,” the court said.