Couple held with pistols used to home-deliver weapons: Chandigarh Police

The husband used to get in touch with gangsters and other gang members through Facebook to strike deals

The couple that was arrested for supplying arms to gangsters used to provide home delivery of weapons after striking deals on social media platforms like Facebook, the police said on Monday.

No criminal case against the wife has been found to be registered prior to the couple’s arrest on July 11, but the police said she used to accompany her husband on deliveries to dodge checking. (HT FILE)

On July 11, the operations cell of Chandigarh Police had arrested Heena and her husband Rahul, alias Shabu, both 24-year-old and from Sector 25, with two country-made pistols and 10 live cartridges. The couple is under a five-day police remand. The police had arrested them when they were on their way to supply weapons.

“They used to bring weapons and deliver them to mostly houses, sometimes hotels or any place of convenience of the customers,” said a senior police officer, not willing to be named.

As per the police, Rahul has two cases of rioting registered against him. No criminal case against Heena has been found to be registered prior to being arrested on Sunday. A case under the Arms Act was registered against the couple.

Used social media to get in touch with buyers

Police said that Rahul used to get in touch with gangsters and their gang members through Facebook. The deal was done online and then they used to deliver weapons at the agreed rate.

“The accused were not only supplying weapons to gangsters but even small-time criminals and people looking for illegal arms. They used social media to strike deals,” said Ketan Bansal, superintendent of police (SP).

He added, “Rahul’s wife accompanied him for deliveries to dodge checking by the police.”

Weapons were brought in from UP, MP

Rahul used to bring the weapons from Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, to be supplied further in Chandigarh and areas nearby.

The couple used to purchase the weapon for about ₹15,000 and then sell it for any price ranging between ₹25,000 to ₹30,000 depending on the weapon.

Bansal said, “Though the couple has been into supplying weapons for a long time, they had never been arrested before.”

Meanwhile, on the couple’s disclosure, the police arrested one Naveen with a country-made pistol. A case under the Arms Act was registered against him.