NEW DELHI: With the sudden upswing in violence in Delhi and its adjoining areas of western Uttar Pradesh more and more industrialists politicians and potential victims of kidnapping for ransom are seeking security in bullet proof jackets. Ironically most of them do not know that the bullet proof vests they are donning are not able to withstand the threat posed by modem weapons used by outlaws.
The wave of picking up the rich for easy money started from Ghaziabad and later spilled over to Noida and then to Delhi. For many rich industrialists and businessmen a bullet proof jacket has become the last word in personal security.
Minting money in this atmosphere of fear-psychosis are two odd cures in New Delhi selling these jackets. Average price Rs 32000 each and no cash memos please.
The private establishments have in the last two years alone sold some 480 jackets. And if they are to be believed the demand is increasing day by day.
The jacket is not made in India DuPont the multi-national company manufactures the bullet resistant fabric called caviar which is woven into a cloth before being stitched to desirable shape the “strength” of the jacket or vest in some cases depends upon the number of layers of caviar mixed cloth pieces joined together. Says Captain P.S Ahluwalia running Premier Security Agency which also supplies bullet proof jackets on order. The buyer must be very sure about the threat perception to his life. Jackets consisting of varying layers of cloth are available in the market and the potential victim must know his exact requirement.”
That most of them have no idea of the strength is a sad fact adds Captain Ahluwalia in the same breath. A bullet proof jacket for them is an all-powerful shield. Unfortunately this is not so.
For instance the strongest bullet proof jacket is useless before an AK-47. This jacket can only tackle bullets of slow velocity of up to 1100 feet per second such as the ones fired by a stengun or a .38 bore pistol. An Ak-47 with its barrel chopped off as is being done by some militants for greater “spraying effect” shoots off a bullet at more than 2700 feet per second. Similarly the jacket does not stand a chance in front of 7.62 mm revolver .303 rifle of Self Loading Rifle(SLR) whose bullets have an average velocity of 2700 feet per second.
However a customer here is seldom told these facts. The aura of power surrounding the word “bullet proof” which again is a misnomer says Ahluwalia as it is only “bullet resistant” and that too only in some cases is enough to dispel his worries
Another factor not reckoned by the wearers of the jacket is the “trauma effect” of being hit. The bullet acts like a punch and even it if it successfully repulsed by cavlar complications can occur.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 19, 1992
