Delhi: Gun licence holders asked to submit details of ammunition

The decision comes in the wake of instances in which people misused their guns such as during a personal quarrel, in the course of a celebration like marriage, or even during communal riots which broke out in C-block of Jahangirpuri during a Hamuman Jayanti procession on April 16.

The Delhi Police have asked all the gun licence holders in the city to submit certificates listing out the use of ammunition -- the place where they fired, the number of bullets fired and the purpose of firing-- to the arms’ dealer from where they bought the firearm as well as the licensing department of the police, said officials in the know of the matter.

OP Mishra, the joint commissioner of police (licensing), said no further cartridges will be sold to the licensees unless they submit the certificates. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The decision comes in the wake of instances in which people misused their guns such as during a personal quarrel, in the course of a celebration such as marriage, or even in a serious case, such as the communal riots which broke out in C-block of Jahangirpuri during a Hamuman Jayanti procession on April 16. In fact, the special cell and the crime branch, which are investigating the case, confirmed that of the four empty cartridges recovered from the Jahangirpuri, two were found to have been fired from the weapons of bona fide gun licensees.

OP Mishra, the joint commissioner of police (licensing), said no further cartridges will be sold to the licensees unless they submit the certificates. “It will control the misuse of bullets in firing during celebrations and minor altercations. No fresh quota of bullets will be granted or issued unless the gun licence holders furnishes the details about the usage of each bullet to the licensing cell,” he said.

Mishra further said the licensee shall submit a certificate to the arms and ammunition dealer on prescribed performa, regarding use of his/her existing cartridges at the time of further purchase within his/her permissible limit of bullets’ quota for the year. “No further cartridges shall be sold to the licensees by the dealers unless they submit the certificate of use of their ammunition at the time of purchase of cartridges during the year,” he said.

A senior officer from the special cell also said that there are many instances where criminals illegally used the ammunition of the licensees in their gunfights. “Recently, the Delhi police nabbed two sharp shooters (both juveniles) of Jitender Gogi gang with two sophisticated weapons and 20 rounds of brand new cartridges in outer north district. We have got information that the gangsters are illegally purchasing bullets, sanctioned on the names of bona fide licensees. Cheaper prices apart, these bullets are more reliable in firing,” said the officer asking not to be named.

When contacted, Brijendra Kumar Yadav, deputy commissioner of police (outer north), also said the police have already started a massive crackdown in his area at all possible hideouts of the illegal suppliers of arms and cartridges. “The bullets recovered in the recent operation indicate that they were recently purchased directly from the licensees, arms dealers or the ordnance factory. However, we are trying to get the details of the ordnance factory and arms dealers from where the criminals got the bullets,” he said.