Four arrested in arms case, 5 illegal weapons seized

The Chandigarh police have arrested four men and seized five country-made firearms, 10 live cartridges, magazines and two vehicles in a major operation targeting organised crime. The crackdown, led by the Crime Branch under the supervision of SP (Crime) Jasbir Singh and DSP Crime Dhiraj Kumar, is being described as one of the most significant arms recoveries in recent times.

The case began on September 7 when a patrol team from Police Station Crime, headed by ASI Karamvir Singh, received a tip-off near the Sports Complex in Sector 56. The information suggested two youths, Rohan and his associate Sumit, were moving around the markets of Sectors 34 and 35 in a white SUV while carrying illegal firearms. Acting swiftly, police intercepted the vehicle and apprehended the suspects. A pistol with five live cartridges was seized from Rohan and Sumit was found in possession of a country-made pistol and a live round. Both were arrested on the spot and remanded in police custody for four days.

Investigators immediately expanded the probe and launched raids across Chandigarh, Haryana and Punjab, including Ludhiana, Rohtak, Kurukshetra and Khanna. On September 8, Mohit, another accomplice of the group, was arrested from Sector 56, Chandigarh. He was also found carrying a country-made pistol with one live cartridge. Attention then turned to the alleged arms supplier, Bablu, a resident of Ludhiana, who had gone into hiding after learning of the earlier arrests. He was tracked down in Rohtak, Haryana, where police arrested him and recovered two pistols, three live cartridges, a katta and a sedan from his possession.

The accused, all young men except for the supplier, come from ordinary backgrounds. Rohan, 21 and Sumit, 22, both residents of Sector 38 West, are employed as dhol players. Mohit, 19, a school dropout, resides in Sector 56 Chandigarh, while Bablu, 31, is a poorly educated man from Ludhiana alleged to be supplying illegal firearms across the region. Police records show Sumit already faces charges in a previous assault case registered at the police station Maloya in 2023.

Preliminary investigations indicate the three local youths had armed themselves as part of an old rivalry. Their families had previously been attacked by local goons, leaving Rohan’s uncle injured. In response, they sought weapons from Bablu to prepare for retaliation.

An FIR has been registered at Police Station Crime, Sector 11, Chandigarh, under the Arms Act and 61(2) BNS. While Mohit has been remanded to judicial custody, the other three remain in police custody. Authorities confirmed that investigations are ongoing, with further arrests possible as the wider arms supply network is traced.