JD(U) leader Manorama Devi’s family has five firearms licences

The family of JD(U) MLC Manorama Devi, whose son Rocky is the prime accused in the killing of a businessman’s son, has five firearms licences among members.

The family of JD(U) MLC Manorama Devi, whose son Rocky is the prime accused in the killing of a businessman’s son, has five firearms licences among members.

The silver Beretta pistol of Rocky Yadav that was said to be used in the crime. (Rajesh Kumar/HT Photo)

While the MLC herself has three, her incarcerated husband Bindi Yadav and son Rakesh Kumar Yadav alias Rocky have one each.

After the arrest of Bindi Yadav and Rocky, the Gaya district administration has now initiated steps for cancellation of firearms licences issued to Yadav and Rocky. It will, however, take a call on the cancellation of gun licences issued to the MLC later.

Read | AK-47s, SLRs: Rocky Yadav’s Facebook posts show his love of guns

Confirming the move to cancel the firearms licence, Gaya district magistrate Kumar Ravi told HT: “Now that Yadav has been arrested, we will cancel his licence. We will wait for the police report to take a call on the licences issued to the MLC. We will decide our future course of action based on the police report, depending on whether the MLC cooperates with the police in the case or not.”

While Yadav was issued a rifle licence in 1991, his MLC wife was issued three separate firearms licences - a revolver, rifle and doublebarrel gun each - from Gaya in 2003. Rocky was issued a pistol licence from Delhi in 2013.

Gaya senior superintendent of police Garima Malik said, “We are writing to the Delhi administration to cancel the pistol licence issued to Rocky.”

Rocky had a Beretta pistol to his name and the address mentioned in the firearms licence was C19, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi.

Interestingly, the district security committee had in February sanctioned a personal security guard to Yadav.

Read | Suspended JD (U) leader Manorama Devi absconding, house sealed

Malik, however, said: “Though a security guard was sanctioned for Yadav, it was never provided to him. We were still trying to ascertain his credentials before actually allotting him a security guard.”

Garima, however, did not have a convincing reply why was the security guard sanctioned to Yadav in the first place when the police were still trying to ascertain his credentials.

Yadav once faced allegations of possessing illegal arms, conniving with Naxalite groups active in the area of his business operations and even sedition.