Earlier, pellet guns were available at toy shops.. To us this suggested a trend which led to a stakeholder consultation and then we decided that there should be some kind of restriction," animal right activist Gauri Maulekhi of People For Animals (PFA) said.According to a notification issued a few weeks ago, sale and transfer of pellet guns can only be made through a registered arms dealer. You either license them or remove them," Ms Maulekhi said and expressed her happiness over the government Power Inflator Manufacturers order which was issued in later part of July this year."We told them that a pellet gun is a killer and that gun is going to be used on either birds or squirrels or dogs.Activists had been campaigning against unrestricted sale of air guns as they claimed that these weapons were being used against birds, squirrels and dogs, and a joint petition was made to the government for restricting their sale.

　　AWBI, while making its plea to the Union home ministry, had said that air guns, air pistols or air files procured without a license adversely affect the animals. An air gun releasing two joules energy can kill a bird, five joules energy can kill a monkey and 20 joules can kill a human being.An air gun having muzzle energy less than 20 joules can only be sold against an identification and residence proof of the buyer and one with more than 20 joules will be sold only through an authorised dealer."PFA received hundreds of complaints from people about how their neighbours were shooting stray dogs and how children were doing target practice on birds and other animals. The move to restrict sale of air guns was made after a sustained campaign by animal rights activists and on the recommendation of Animal Welfare Board of India.PFA had first moved the Delhi High Court in 2000 seeking ban on unrestricted sale of air guns, air pistols and air rifles and secured a favourable order in 2002.