E-Paper
No irregularities found in Pune arms licence case, says state government
BJP MLA Suresh Dhas raised the issue, alleging that the officers issued 569 pistol licences by accepting bribes of ₹20 lakh each, which contributed to a rise in crime and fear in Pune and nearby areas
The Maharashtra government has told the state assembly that no irregularities were found in the issuance of arms licences in Pune involving senior police officers Jalinder Supekar and Amitabh Gupta.
BJP MLA Suresh Dhas raised the issue, alleging that the officers issued 569 pistol licences by accepting bribes of ₹20 lakh each, which contributed to a rise in crime and fear in Pune and nearby areas. He also flagged alleged benami properties worth thousands of crores and sought a probe by central agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Responding to the allegations, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said, “During their tenure, 433 arms licences were sanctioned in accordance with the Arms Act, 1959 and Arms Rules, 2016.”
He added that between 2020 and June 2025, only 10 criminal cases involving licensed weapons were registered. “In all these cases, the accused have been arrested and prosecuted,” he said.
On allegations of disproportionate assets, the government said the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in Pune has not received any complaint against Supekar.
However, Fadnavis said a complaint received against Supekar on June 17, 2025, is currently under examination. “Further action will be taken based on the findings,” he said.
The government also referred to a separate complaint against Shashikant Chavan, a senior police inspector and relative of Supekar, received in March 2016. An open inquiry conducted by the ACB into his assets found that properties owned by him and his family in Satara and Pune were not disproportionate. The inquiry was closed on March 3, 2020.
The arms licence issue came under scrutiny following the suicide of a married woman, Vaishnavi Hagawane, in Pune. Allegations had surfaced that Supekar misused his position to help his nephews obtain arms licences.
Amid the controversy and demands for a probe, Supekar was later transferred from the post of special inspector general of police (Prisons) to the Home Guards.
