671 firearms deposited in Arki

Tribune News Service

Solan, October 13

Merely 33 per cent licenced weapons have been deposited in the Arki assembly segment ahead of the October 30 byelection after enforcement of the model code of conduct on October 1.

The data secured from the police department revealed that as many as 671 firearms have been deposited by the residents in Arki and Ramshehar belt.

A headache for police

• Securing firearms is a headache for the police as adequate space is supposed to be created in the police stations to house the collected arms.
• The firearms are returned a week after the declaration of the election results.
• As many as 93 firearms have been deposited in Ramshehar police station as well.

The firearms are supposed to be deposited by all licensees in the nearest police station as per the directions of the district magistrate issued under section 144 of the CrPC which prohibits the use of firearms. These directions are issued soon after enforcement of the model code of conduct.

Since certain areas of Ramshehar in Nalagarh subdivision also fall under the Arki Assembly segment, 93 firearms have been deposited in Ramshehar police station as well.

Securing firearms is a major headache for the police as adequate space is supposed to be created in the police stations to house the collected arms. These are returned a week after the declaration of the election results.

Additional Superintendent of Police, Solan, Ashok Verma said, “A special campaign has been initiated whereby police vehicles visit villages and collect firearms from the owners in all four police stations area of Arki, Kunihar, Bagha and Darlaghat.”

He added that the villagers were made aware of this norm and collection would increase in the coming days.

A large number of weapons in this rural Assembly segment have been availed for crop protection and comprise large weapons like guns while there was a small share of weapons licensed for personal safety.