Chandigarh shooter Vijayveer Sidhu awaits permission for pistol purchase

Deepankar Sharda

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Chandigarh, June 20

Facing UT Administration’s apathy, local shooter Vijayveer Sidhu, who has been selected for Paris Olympics, is running from pillar to post to get “purchase permission” in order to import a pistol, which he is planning to use in the mega sports event starting on July 26.

The 21-year-old shooter from the city will be representing the nation in the men’s 25m rapid-fire pistol event. In January, he qualified for the Olympics after making it to the final of the Asian Shooting Championships 2024 in Jakarta (Indonesia).

The pistol costs €about Rs 10.60 lakh and without getting “purchase permission”, Sidhu will not be able to get customs’ clearance for it.

“I had applied for the purchase permission in May, but the authority concerned cited that the model code of conduct was in force due to the Lok Sabha elections. As asked, I had submitted a request in writing at that time. I have been visiting the office of Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) for the past two days, but to no avail,” claimed Sidhu.

He said, “I was asked to fill a form online. When I tried, the portal didn’t work. I again came to the Sector 17 office and the branch concerned asked for help. As the portal was not working, I was sent to the branch head. Again, the official declined to help me get through the procedure,” he added.

“I have to try the weapon before participating in the Olympics. However, if there is a delay, I have to go for my back up plan. I just can’t do the unboxing of the new weapon on the day of my competition,” added Sidhu.

As per procedure, after getting the permit to procure (import) weapons from the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), a purchase approval is needed to further confirm the dealer. After receiving the purchase permission, the dealer will inform the customer to start the payment process and import the weapon which will reach the owner through the Customs Department.

Players are our nation’s pride

There’s no major snag, but there’s some problem with the website. Since the matter has been brought to our notice now, we will initiate the process in no time. We are not letting such cases go unnoticed, as they (players) are our nation’s pride. — A senior official