Delhi: Illegal arms supplier held with 5 pistols and 200 cartridges near Sunder Nursery

Police said the suspect was previously arrested in 2018 with 407 cartridges, allegedly intended for Maoists in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli, and was also involved in supplying arms and ammunition to criminals in Delhi and Bihar, and Maoists in Odisha.

The city police on Friday said they arrested a 58-year-old man from near Sunder Nursery and recovered five pistols and 200 cartridges that he allegedly brought to the city to deliver to criminals in the Capital. Police said the suspect has previously been arrested in 2018 with 407 cartridges, allegedly intended for Maoists in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli, and was also involved in supplying arms and ammunition to criminals in Delhi and Bihar, and Maoists in Odisha as well.

The seized pistols and bullets were to be supplied to three criminals, including one from trans-Yamuna area, said police. (Sourced)

Deputy commissioner of police (special cell) Pramod Singh Kushwah said that on Wednesday, a team from the special cell received information that a habitual firearms trafficker from Bihar, identified as Ram Krishan Singh alias Master, would reach the area near Sunder Nursery’s parking in south Delhi’s Nizamuddin to deliver a consignment of arms and ammunition.

“A trap was laid and Singh was caught with a bag containing five pistols and 200 cartridges. The bullets and pistols were to be supplied to three criminals, including one from trans-Yamuna area,” said DCP Kushwah, adding that Singh had procured the seized items from his contact in Firozabad, Uttar Pradesh.

Police said that Singh, a B.Com graduate, worked as a private school teacher in Bihar’s Ara and Bhojpur districts between 1989 and 2014. In 2015, he came in contact with a local criminal who lured him into the illegal trade of arms and ammunition trafficking. In 2018, the special cell arrested Singh with 407 cartridges that he was to deliver to Maoists in Gadhchiroli.

“His interrogation at that time led to the arrest of another arms trafficker, Sanjay Singh, from Ara, who carried a reward of ₹1 lakh announced by Bihar Police. Two Maoists -- Ajit Akhil Ray who carried a reward of ₹2 lakh, and Raj Bahadur who carried a reward of ₹1 lakh -- were arrested from Gadhchiroli and Ara respectively. A total of 506 cartridges and several weapons, including INSAS and SLR (rifles) were seized from them,” added Kushwah.

Police said Singh remained in jail for nearly four months and came in contact with criminals of Delhi-NCR.

Police said though he was inactive for a while, he began the illegal activities post the second wave of Covid-19. Since June, he has allegedly supplied over 300 cartridges and 10 pistols to criminals in Delhi-NCR, police said.