Issuing of backdated gun licences being probed

Dinesh Manhotra

Tribune News Service

Jammu, March 4

After arresting IAS officer Rajeev Ranjan in the country’s biggest gun licence scam, investigating agencies are now probing role of some former District Magistrates who had allegedly issued backdated licences after being transferred from respective districts.

“The role of some former District Magistrates, who are now serving in different departments, are under scanner because during investigation it was established that some officers issued backdated licences in lieu of taking huge amount from dealers,” a source said, adding, “investigating agencies are likely to quiz some gun dealers who used to manage licences for some individuals”.

In 2017, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs in its report had revealed that during the last 15 years District Magistrates (DMs) serving in different districts of J&K had issued 3,69,191 gun licences.

Even as the CBI has arrested two former District Magistrates, three IAS officers and over a dozen gun dealers are under scanner in connection with the scam related to issuance of fake arms licences in J&K.

Highly placed sources said three IAS officers were under the scanner of the country’s premier investigating agency, which is probe country’s biggest gun-running scandal.

“The investigating agency is probing the role of some IAS officers and gun dealers in the scam,” a source said, adding, “one senior IAS officer had issued gun licences from the back date after the same officer was transferred as District Magistrate from a district of the Kashmir Valley”.

Two days ago the CBI had arrested two former District Magistrates of Kupwara in connection with the issuance of a large number of arms licences on the basis of forged documents.

Rajeev Ranjan, an IAS officer, was the Chief Executive Officer of the Jammu Metro Rail project and Itrit Hussain Rafiqui is now a retired government servant.

Following his arrest by the CBI, Ranjan was suspended by the government on March 3.