Rajasthan Govt dithers on action against officers involved in gunrunning racket

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.

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 bore alteration, change of address, 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. Sharma alleged that ‘prohibited/Non Service Pattern (NSP)bore weapons obtained from army personnel through the Central Ordnance Depot, Jabalpur were being sold to the general public and criminals in violation of the Arms Act, 1959.

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 for selling NSP weapons illegally in grey market. Antony said administrative/disciplinary action had been initiated against 41 Army officers, a junior commissioned officer and four retired Army officers for selling NSP weapons in violation of rules.

Earlier, the Defence Ministry had admitted before the SC that senior Army officers were involved in the scandal. The headquarters, South Western Command had ordered the court of inquiry three days after the Hindustan Times first reported on September 5, 2007 that Indian Army officers had been selling their personal weapons illegally in the grey market with the help of a cartel of ammunition dealers in border districts of Rajasthan.

The Army’s action against its officers was based on a list (of those involved in the scandal) provided by 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 sale register.

The various gun-dealers relating to the…case are yet to be summoned and investigated/interrogated.” This happened after the file of the case was handed over to Special and Economic Offence, CID, C.B., Rajasthan, 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.

In at least 41 cases, arms licences were illegally issued to persons with a criminal background from Punjab after Ferozepur authorities refused to issue/renew their licences, the state had admitted.

The Sriganganagar police had registered seven cases in this regard, wherein two additional district magistrates and employees of the district collector’s office were made accused and the matter was probed by the CID (CB). But chargesheets had not been filed in three of these cases either the investigations were on or for want of sanction to prosecute the accused.