Celebratory fire can land you in jail

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 24

The practice of indulging in celebratory fire during weddings at marriage palaces and resorts continues in the region due to failure of the authorities concerned to keep a check on offenders. The suspects usually go scot free. But, from now onwards, lawbreakers will have to pay a price for it and will land in jail.

Intelligence officials have asked all police commissioners, IGs, DIGs and SSPs to check credentials of arms licence holders before returning their weapons after expiry of the model code of conduct. Every bullet will be accountable. Arms licence holders will have to give details of each and every bullet procured from gun house owners and where they have used it.

“In case they fail to give details or satisfactory answers to police queries, their arms licences will be cancelled, besides a case will be registered against them,” said Inspector General (IG), Special Task Force (STF), Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh.

Despite the blanket ban on carrying weapons to marriage palaces and resorts all over Punjab, arms holders give a scant regard to it. Many a time celebratory fire has led to the tragic death of innocent persons in the past. A disc jockey was killed in a similar manner recently. However, for want of a punitive action offenders usually go scot free or the aggrieved family reaches compromise with the offender in the end. Many stray bullet injury instances in the city were also attributed to such celebratory fires.

According to rules, arms licence holders have to inform the police as where they have used ammunition.

“Arms licences are sanctioned for carrying weapons for self defence and not for ostentatious display or showing vain masculinity. Rule says that the police can register a case under Section 336 of the IPC (Act of Endangering Life or Personal Safety of Others) and the Arms Act against offenders,” said the IG.

If orders are implemented in a true letter and spirit, half of arms licences in the state would be cancelled.

Meanwhile, the intelligence wing of the Punjab Police has asked Police Commissioners, IGs, DIGs of the seven police ranges and SSPs of all the districts to check credentials of arms licence holders after it came to light that many gangsters had managed to get licences of their friends, relatives, and supporters, besides using their ammunition in nefarious activities.