India Gang Rape Aftermath: Gun Permit Applications Increase Dramatically

In the aftermath of the gang rape and murder in Delhi, India, women in that city are applying for gun licenses in unprecedented numbers.

The victim of this horrible crime, a 23-year-old woman, was brutally gang raped by six men in Delhi on December 16 after she boarded a bus. The woman died on Friday after being hospitalized in Singapore. She was cremated on Sunday in a private ceremony. The six suspects in the crime have been charged with murder and could face the death penalty.

As The Inquisitr has previously reported, the extremity of the attack ignited incendiary protests in Delhi and elsewhere in the country over outrage about the rising number of sex crimes in India and the apparent failure of officials to deal with it.

The Guardian of London reported on the substantial increase in gun permit applications by female residents of Delhi:

“Hundreds of women in Delhi have applied for gun licenses following the gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old woman by six men in a bus in the city last month.

“The news underlines the widespread sense of insecurity in the city, deep before the incident and deeper now, and the lack of faith in law enforcement agencies …

” ‘Lots of women have been contacting us asking for information about how to obtain licenses. Any woman has a threat against her. It’s not surprising. There are fearless predators out there,’ said Abhijeet Singh of the campaign group Guns For India.”

The Times of India also reported on the big increase in the number of inquiries about obtaining a gun license:

” ‘We have received over 1,200 calls since that day. These include not only the average working woman, but even students who travel long distances to colleges and even their concerned parents. They were eager to find out more on the procedure to acquire arms,’ said a Delhi police officer.

“Delhi police sources say hundreds more had turned up at their office itself. ‘We had to patiently tell them that one needs to have a clear danger to one’s life to be given a license. However, some of the parents were not happy with our replies. They said that with even public transport no longer safe in the city, they just cannot take chances.’ “

In view of recent events, do you think law enforcement officials in India should loosen the requirements to obtain a permit to carry a gun?