After recent Ludhiana police action, gun houses set their records in order

Nikhil Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, September 19

After the Ludhiana police tightened noose around gun house owners supplying ammunition illegally to criminal elements and tampering with the sale register, now, the Ludhiana Arms Dealers Association has started setting their records in order. The association has appealed to arms licence holders whose licence has expired to submit copies of renewed licence as soon as possible.

Raid conducted at 16 gun houses in August

Last month, the police had conducted a raid at all 16 gun houses in Ludhiana on the suspicion that owners of gun houses by tampering the records of sale register and by making forge enteries in the name of licence holders, were supplying ammunition to the criminal elements. After the raid, the police had also nabbed the owner of Verma Gun House, Gurcharan Singh, who had sold bullets to a notorious criminal.

Notably, last month the police had conducted a raid at all 16 gun houses in Ludhiana on the suspicion that owners of gun houses by tampering the records of sale register and by making forge enteries in the name of licence holders, were supplying ammunition to the criminal elements. After the raid, the police had also nabbed the owner of Verma Gun House, Gurcharan Singh, who had sold bullets to a notorious criminal. Later, two more partners of the gun house were booked by the police for allegedly tampering with the sale register.

The copy of the notice issued by the association states that: “The Ludhiana Arms Dealers Association appeal to all arms licence holders that if their licence has expired, they should get their licence renewed as soon as possible and submit copies with gun houses. If any arms licence holder has died and their weapon is lying at the gun houses, family members of such licence holders should start the process to dispose of their weapons.”

Sources said the police had strictly told the gun house owners to prepare a list of all weapons whose owners have not submitted the renewed licence and also make a list of licence holders who had already died but their weapons are still lying at the gun houses.

“We had received information that gun houses have a large number of weapons whose owners have already died but kin of the licence holders have not informed the police about the same. The gun houses could misuse such weapons, hence, the police have asked gun houses to dispose of such weapons,” said a police official.