Amid a spate of public outcries over sexual harassment of women in India, the country’s answer to Tony Stark has developed a ‘lipstick gun’ to deter would-be sex attackers with a ferocious but well-concealed gadget.
Shyam Chaurasia from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh has developed a new, patent-pending personal security device, which makes women’s lips pop almost as loudly as their would-be attackers’ ear drums, if test footage of the accessory is anything to go by.
The ‘lipstick gun’ is reportedly fitted into an additional space inside a normal lipstick case. When triggered, it sets off a loud bang, alerting people in the vicinity while also sending a distress signal to the police via the 112 emergency number.
“If a woman is caught in an uncomfortable situation, she can simply press the button fitted in the socket. This will trigger a loud, explosion-like sound and also send a message to 112. It is easy to carry and since it is fitted to the normal lipstick, it will not raise any doubts,” Chaurasia, who spent a month developing the gadget, said.
The device is chargeable and can be connected to a smart phone via bluetooth. Charausia has submitted a patent for the implement which is currently pending and he hopes to eventually sell the personal security pucker-up for Rs 600 ($8.40).
“It is convenient to carry and creates a scare with its explosion sound. When you take it out, no one will suspect because it looks like a lipstick,” Shefali Rai, a student of Benaras Hindu University, who gave the lipstick a test-run, said.
This isn’t Chaurasia’s first foray into the world of personal protection and outlandish gadgetry. His previous expertise includes developing a (semi) functional suit of Iron Man-esque armor.
