Gujarat cops seek arms licence details

Samaan Lateef

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Tribune News Service

Srinagar, September 22

The Gujarat Police have sought details from the J&K Government of an arms licence issued to a Gujarat resident, who had shot and injured three persons during a scuffle there last week.

Officials are ascertaining whether the arms licence, apparently issued from Kathua district six months ago, is fake or genuine.

“We have requested the J&K Home Department to provide us information whether it had issued a licence in the name of Muhammad Afzal of Palampur, Gujarat,” a senior Gujarat cop told The Tribune.

The Home Department, he said, would provide the details of the arms licence to the Gujarat Police on Monday. Three persons were injured during the scuffle at Palampur, Gujarat, after a personshot at them with his revolver on September 11.

The Gujarat Police arrested the person and recovered three weapons, including a 12-bore shotgun and a rifle from his possession. The police said the accused submitted the licence of the seized weapons which had a seal and signature of the Deputy Commissioner, Kathua.

“We have now asked the J&K Government whether it had issued the licence or not. Once we get the reply, then only we can take further action,” the Gujarat official said.

The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of Rajasthan joined by the Gujarat Police are investigating the inter-state arms licence scam which was unearthed in Jaipur on September 11.

The Rajasthan ATS arrested three arms dealers — Rahul from Jammu, Vishal from Abohar, Punjab, and Zubair Khan from Ajmer — who supplied arms licences, issued by the J&K Home Department, to customers across the country. It seized over 100 arms licences with a huge cache of weapons in raids at 12 locations in four states.

Officials say the arms licences were being made in Kathua, Kupwara, Ramban and Jammu and sold at Rs 3 lakh.

The Rajasthan ATS has sought details of top officers posted in the J&K Home Department since 2001 along with their approved signature and handwriting.

The J&K Home department has initiated an inquiry and sought reports from several district commissioners to provide the details of arms licences issued by their offices.