Panic at Circuit House after party worker leaves rifle on SUV seat

Nikhil Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, February 5

Tension gripped the Circuit House, a place frequently visited by senior politicians and VVIPs, when people noticed a weapon along with 25 cartridges lying in a locked Tata Safari in the parking lot today.

After the PAU police station came to know about the vehicle, SHO Sumit Sood reached the spot and took the weapon and cartridges in his possession.

The SHO said the weapon belonged to Daljit Singh Chauhan of Rampura Phul, Bathinda, who had come there to attend a meeting of the Rashtravaadi Congress Party. “Although Chauhan produced the licence of the weapon, which is a 12-bore rifle, yet leaving the weapon openly in the vehicle amounts to negligence. To my knowledge, if someone has a licensed weapon, he has to keep it with himself and it should not be left anywhere like that. We have seized the weapon along with the cartridges and launched investigation as to what action can be taken against the weapon owner,” said the SHO.

Meanwhile, the police also checked other vehicles parked at the Circuit House but no other weapon was recovered.

The SHO said the police would contact the arms licensing authority of Bathinda to inquire under what circumstances the weapon was issued to Daljit and whether he could carry it in Ludhiana.