Security agencies worried over ‘fake' gun licences
NL Correspondent
SRINAGAR: As Jammu and Kashmir Home Department has come under the scanner for allegedly issuing “fake” gun licences, the security agencies are worried as the state has issued maximum number of gun licenses after Uttar Pradesh.
The secret ‘Operation Zubeida' initiated in May was launched by Anti-Terrorism Squad, Rajasthan, to uncover the sale of illegal fire arms in the state. Since then, ATS Rajasthan has raided several places in various states including in Jammu and Kashmir and made various arrests in connection to “fake gun licence” racket. What's also worrying is that most of these licences have been made in J&K.
The security agencies are worried in Jammu and Kashmir for allegedly issuance of “fake” gun licences.
The security agencies in Jammu and Kashmir have shown deep concern over issuance of gun licences randomly without making “proper verifications” despite one person is being booked under the Arms Act in Jammu and Kashmir after every 48-hours.
As per the official data, 1826 cases have been registered since 2008 to March 2016 under the Arms Act in JK. The data reveals that 352 cases were registered in 2008 under the Arms Act in J&K whose number reduced to 289 and 225 in 2009 and 2010 respectively. There was slight increase in registration of cases in 2011 when 231 people were booked under this Act.
The Arms Act 1959 is an Act to consolidate and amend the law relating to arms and ammunition in order to curb illegal weapons and violence stemming from them.
“Rajasthan is a peaceful state. How so many gun licences have been issued in a sensitive security environment like Jammu and Kashmir is a matter of grave concern,” Additional Director General of the anti terror cell, Umesh Mishra has been quoted by the media.
Jammu and Kashmir has issued second highest number of gun licences in the country. Uttar Pradesh tops the list of states with active gun licences with a whopping 12.77 lakh people followed by Jammu and Kashmir where 3.69 lakh people possess arms licences.
The ATS Rajasthan had sought the details of top officers posted in the J&K Home Department since 2001.
The ATS had also sought the procedures and rules followed by the J&K Government for allotting arms licences and permits to the gun shop owners. “These documents of procedures and rules adopted by J&K in issuance/renewal of arms licences are required for the investigation of a criminal case,” read a letter from the Rajasthan ATS.
The ATS Rajasthan conducted a raid at a shop in Ajmer and claims that Usman and Zubair, the father-and-son duo who run the gun shop, used “faked identities to get gun licences” made in Jammu and Kashmir.
“People who had no relation with armed forces showed themselves as army personnel. A civilian takes a photo and then morphs with that of an ID of an armed personnel,” a national news channel quoting police officer Vikas Kumar of the ATS cell, detailing the modus operandi of how the racket worked.
Army and other security personnel can get arms licences from any district in Jammu and Kashmir where they are posted in on the recommendation of a letter from the Commanding Officer of their unit.
They don't need to get the local police to verify their address or a criminal verification from the local police stations like other ordinary citizens.
Sources said that Rajasthan ATS has recovered fake arms licenses, which were purportedly issued from Baramulla and Kupwara districts of north Kashmir, Jammu, Ramban, and Kathua districts of Jammu region.
Rajasthan ATS has lodged FIR No. 27/2017 at its Jaipur Headquarters in the case under Sections 420, 467, 468, 471, 474 and 120-B IPC and 3, 25 and 29 Arms Act.
Similarly, the ATS Rajasthan raided several places, made few arrestees, and found “manipulating signatures” and stamps of some of the district magistrates.
“Several arrests were made and a large number of fake arms licenses were recovered from their possession,” sources said.
Sources said more than 1,000 people from Rajasthan, including industrialists, mine owners, and jewellers have got arms licences made from Jammu and Kashmir.
