Racket-tainted R’than officials still roam free

Even as the defence ministry acts against senior army officers in illegal sale of prohibited weapons and imported arms to criminals, several Rajasthan government officers allegedly involved in the gunrunning scandal are roaming free for over two years for want of sanction to prosecute them, reports Satya Prakash.

Even as the defence ministry acts against senior army officers in illegal sale of prohibited weapons and imported arms to criminals, several Rajasthan government officers allegedly involved in the gunrunning scandal are roaming free for over two years for want of sanction to prosecute them.

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According to an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court by Sriganganagar Additional Superintendent of Police Rajan Dushyant, sanction for prosecution was yet to be obtained against as many as 23 officials, including former Additional District Magistrates of Sriganganagar, Rajendra Makkar and Lalchand Okha. Dushyant is the officer-in-charge appointed by the state government in the case.

These officials allegedly connived with gun dealers and criminals and by taking improper advantage of their official position did the illegal works pertaining to change of address and permission for additional weapon without police report and verification of address.

The affidavit has been filed in response to a public-interest petition filed in 2007 by advocate Arvind Kumar Sharma seeking a CBI probe into the gunrunning scandal, allegedly involving army and Rajasthan government officials.

Defence Minister A.K. Antony told the Rajya Sabha on December 3 that action had been initiated against retired and serving army officers, including two Major Generals and two Brigadiers.

Earlier, the defence ministry had admitted before the SC that senior army officers were involved in the scandal. The South Western Command had ordered the court of inquiry three days after HT first reported the racket on September 5, 2007.

The army’s action against its officers was based on a list (of those involved in the scandal) provided by the Sriganganagar district collector. Interestingly, the state government has yet to grant sanction to prosecute its own officers allegedly involved in the scandal.

According to the affidavit, in one of the seven cases (FIR No. 237/07, P.S. Kotgate, Bikaner), “the original record of Harisharan Vyaparik Pratisthan, Bikaner, has not been available yet and due to want of same, the records of other gun dealers could not be matched with stock register and sales register. The various gun-dealers relating to the… case are yet to be summoned and investigated.”

This happened after the case file was handed over to Special and Economic Offence and CID (CB), Jaipur “as per the directions of higher officials.”

The Rajasthan government has already admitted before the court that hundreds of illegal arms licences were issued to criminal elements, including those from Punjab, in the border district of Sriganganagar in connivance with state officials. In March 2009, the state government had admitted before SC that irregularities had been found in 325 cases, out of which 227 licences had been cancelled and 98 cases were under consideration.