Early Times Report
srinagar, Mar 8: Jammu and Kashmir has come under scanner as several districts in the state have indiscriminately and excessively issued gun licenses over the past few years.
It is pertinent to mention that the Principal Secretary Home, on the basis of a report of National Database for Arms Licences urged the Divisional Commissioners of the state to look into the number of arms licences issued to some districts in the state which has been "exceedingly large in numbers".
On Friday, the Principal Secretary Home, Shaleen Kabra, issued an order that Home Department has received reports from various agencies particularly CID of J&K Police and Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India regarding "indiscriminate issuance" of arms licenses within Jammu and Kashmir.
"No fresh license shall be issued by the district magistrate. The district magistrates shall take urgent steps to revoke all such individual arms licenses issued to various persons (excluding the personnel belonging to the state police, Army and CAPFs), consequent to the notification of Arms Rules, 2016. Further, the district magistrate shall direct all such persons, whose license is revoked, to deposit any arms or ammunition, with the officer IC of the nearest police station," the order reads.
The order says that the matter related to the issuance of arms licences in Jammu and Kashmir, also came up for discussion in a meeting taken by Election Commission of India during its visit to the state in context of ensuing general elections.
"The district magistrates shall furnish the details of the individual arms licences issued by their offices for the period 2012 upto 12.07.2018. The concerned SSP/SP shall conduct an intensive verification of those licenses and ensure adherence to ECI instructions regarding deposition of the licenced weapons," the order says.
The order also says that concerned SSP/SP shall, also, in respect of those state subjects who belong to other districts of J&K, immediately take up the matter with the SSP / SP of the domicile district if the licencee for the purpose of verification of licence and adherence to ECI instructions regarding deposition of the licenced weapons.
Last year, Jammu and Kashmir government also ordered an inquiry by the State Vigilance Organisation into large scale issuance of individual arms licences in alleged contravention of rules.
The home department had issued the order following reports of alleged fake gun license racket operating in the state.
Besides directing the State Vigilance Organisation to probe into the matter, the government had ordered the divisional commissioners of Kashmir and Jammu regions to verify all cases of individual new arms licenses issued between 1 January, 2017, to 23 February, 2018.
The Anti-Terrorism Squad Rajasthan initiated the secret 'Operation Zubeida' in May 2017 to uncover the sale of illegal fire arms in the state. Since then, the ATS Rajasthan has raided several places in various states including in Jammu and Kashmir and made various arrests in connection with "fake gun licence" racket. |
