Prosecution cell rejects police challan

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, January 27

The district public prosecution cell has rejected the challan report of the police in the foreign arms smuggling case.

The public prosecution cell said the Faridkot Police presented a “weak” challan and it had several loopholes in the illegal trading of hi-profile foreign-made firearms.

With the alleged involvement of many politically connected persons in the scandal, the challan had many critique lapses and lacunae, felt the public prosecution cell while rejecting the challan last week.

However, bypassing the district public prosecution cell, the Faridkot Police presented the challan in the court on its own.

As the name of many influential and powerful persons had figured in this scandal after the Faridkot police arrested three persons, including a gun dealer from Mansa, three months ago, the police were under pressure to “soft-pedal” the case, said sources.

The public prosecution cell raised many objections and returned the challan to the police for rectifications.

The police had claimed to have recovered 13 foreign-made weapons. While returning this challan to the district police, the prosecution demanded the police to collect the details whether these weapons were of prohibited or non-prohibited bores.

It is believed that many of these fatal prohibited bore weapons were sold illegally, presenting these as non-prohibited weapons in the government record.

In its challan, the police have assumed all persons innocent and bona fide purchasers who had brought these illegal weapons. The police claimed that they had to file the challan before the expiry of 180 days so that the arrested accused does not take bail. The investigations in the case were still on and a supplementary challan will be filed soon, claim the police.