14 arms licences cancelled by top cop, many under scrutiny

Coming down heavily on gun-wielding mongers, Commissioner of Police, Ludhiana, Kuldeep Singh Chahal, has cancelled as many as 14 arms licences. There are multiple reasons for the cancellation as some posed with arms on social media and some showcased weapons in public to influence others while others pointed weapons at their opponents.

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As per the data gathered from the Police Commissionerate, besides 14 cancelled arms licences, many of licences had also been put under scrutiny by the CP for various reasons and these may face cancellation in coming days. The development came after top cop had issued warning to the arms licence holders to avoid misuse, public display of weapon and making reels or posts on social media, still licence holders pay scant regards to the directions.

Talking to The Tribune here on Wednesday, the Commissioner of Police said possessing arm licence did not mean that the weapon holder could display weapons to create fear in public or he use it for celebratory firing. Licence was being issued for the safety of the person concerned and any kind of violation will not be tolerated. Now, these weapon holders would not be issued licence again.

“The Ludhiana police have cancelled as many as 14 arms licences after noticing non-compliance to the norms of possessing licenced weapon. Many files of arms licence holders are already under scrutiny and the same will be cancelled once police is satisfied that person(s) is not fit for possessing licenced arms,” Chahal said.

The Commissioner of Police revealed that daily on an average, over 10 applications for fresh arms licences were being received at the Commissionerate but only those persons who have been facing genuine threats would be given licences. Arms licence of other persons, who want to possess arms licence for social status or any other reason, will not be approved.

Sting Ops: 148 may also lose arms licence

Notably, as many as 148 arms licence holders in the district were asked to retake the dope test required for renewal, failing which, their licences could be cancelled. Recommendation for the same has already received by the Ludhiana police. Former Civil Surgeon, Dr Jasbir Singh Aulakh, a day before his transfer, had sent a list of 148 arms licence holders to Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney and recommended that either the licence holders take the retest or their arms licence should be cancelled. Despite repeated reminders the 148 arms licence holders had failed to appear for the retest. The retest situation arose after the then Ludhiana Civil Surgeon Dr Jasbir Singh Aulakh carried out a sting operation and caught a Civil Hospital lab technician accepting a bribe to make a ‘fake’ dope test certificate. He also got conducted other sting operations which found fake certificates being issued.