Guwahati, June 23, 2019

Beware, lawbreakers!  The deadly bhut jolokia is ready to explode and not just in the mouth. Along with several updated versions of tear gas shells, the chili grenades have finally made its way to the Assam Police armoury.

Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the bhut jolokia will pack a punch when mixed with hand grenades to deal with law violators, manage crowd management and disperse irate mobs.

The notorious pepper of Assam, also known as the ghost chilli, is ranked by Guinness World Records as the most piquant of peppers. The bhut jolokia belongs to the capsicum Chinese family and is native to Assam. In 2007, Guinness World Records certified that the ghost pepper was the world’s hottest chili pepper, 400 times hotter than Tabasco sauce.

In the last few months, the Assam Police doubled the number of non-lethal weapons in its arsenal, The Assam Tribune reported. As per reports, there are also plans to use the bhut jolokia paste or powder in teargas shells for dispersing violent protesters or rioters.

In Assam and other Northeastern states, it is used in both fresh and dried forms, to “heat up” curries, pickles and chutneys. It is widely cultivated in  Arunachal Pradesh, Assam,  Nagaland and Manipur. It is mostly used while preparing pork or fermented fish recipes.