After 2 killings, govt to take steps to curb arms licences

The state government of Maharashtra, India, is planning to make the process of issuing gun licenses more stringent following two recent shooting incidents involving politicians. The home department has been instructed to review the current policy and determine if any changes are necessary. The government is particularly concerned about the leniency in issuing gun licenses in certain districts and cities, and the potential misuse of licensed guns during upcoming elections.

MUMBAI: Taking serious cognisance of the two shocking firing incidents involving politicians within a week, the state government has decided to make the process of issuing gun licenses more stringent. The home department has been directed to conduct a review of the current policy and check if it needs to be tweaked. Meanwhile, deputy CM and home minister Devendra Fadnavis remarked on Friday that the killing of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Abhishek Ghosalkar by Mauris Norhona happened because of “personal enmity” and ought not to be politicised.

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Fadnavis held an emergency meeting with chief minister Eknath Shinde for over two hours on Thursday immediately after Ghosalkar was shot by Norhona on Facebook Live. The CM and Dy CM reportedly discussed the law-and-order situation and the leniency in issuing arms licences in some districts and cities. They also reportedly discussed the perception that they felt was being created by the opposition about their alleged patronage of criminals.

An official from Mantralaya said that gun licenses were liberally issued in districts like Thane without due scrutiny. “They are mostly issued at the local level,” he said. “When proposals come to the home department, almost all of them are rejected. The home department has now directed the respective district and city authorities (the collector and the police commissioner) to scrutinise the licenses issued.”

The Mumbai police have accordingly issued orders to the senior inspectors of all 96 police stations across the city to check how many licensed weapons were issued in their jurisdictions and whether the licenses were renewed on time. A police source said that the Mumbai police had issued around 11,500 arms licenses since 1957 when a decision was taken to issue weapons to people facing a threat to their life. Arms licences were also issued for sports and for crop protection.

Several people do not renew their licenses despite several warnings and are even given show-cause notices. “We will start the process of cancelling the licenses of such people and seize their weapons,” said the police officer. “While licences for small arms (pistols/revolvers) are renewed every two years, for rifles and other big arms, such as guns and shotguns, the renewal period is every three years.”

The police have also been asked to investigate whether arms license-holders have any disputes or rivalry that could escalate in future. Sources said that most of the defaulters were private security agencies that had procured many commercial licenses (rifles/guns) for their guards.

A Mantralaya official said that while both the recent killings were done with licenced guns, a few instances had come to light of the misuse of licenced guns in these districts. “The district and city level have been asked to review licences before the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections, given their potential misuse and the law-and-order problem they could create during the elections,” he said. Another officer said that the fact of politicians recommending people for gun licences was also discussed in a recent home department meeting.

Fadnavis, while speaking to the media on Friday morning, said that Ghosalkar and Mauris Noronha had known each other for years and had put up banners and posters together in their area. They had even celebrated New Year together last month. “The police have come across certain reasons for the killing and the details will be made public at the appropriate time,” he said. “This has happened because of personal enmity and there was no reason to politicise it.”

The minister also hit out at the opposition for demanding his resignation. “They ask for my resignation even if a dog is hit by a vehicle,” he said. “I am not surprised at their demand after this serious case. They are just doing their job.”