Probe ordered by Ferozepur DC, 21 licences cancelled

BATHINDA : Embarrassed over reports of renewal of firearm licences of proclaimed offenders (POs) for years, Ferozepur deputy commissioner Chander Gaind on Monday ordered an in-depth probe into the matter.

The DC also ordered the cancellation of firearm licences of 21 POs and directed Ferozepur senior superintendent of police (SSP) Vivek Sheel Soni to fix responsibility of the police officials who kept recommending the renewal of such licences.

He said these licences were issued between 2007 and 2010.

Gaind said the police report suggests the number of such weapon licence-holders could be higher as the data is being analysed.He said the SSP has been directed to complete the probe at the earliest. “Issuance and renewal of arms licences are done on the basis of no-objection certificate provided by the district police authorities. It is a serious matter and the SSP has been asked to furnish names of police officials who kept on clearing official documents for issuance or renewal of firearm licences to such people. I will recommend strict action against the police officials found responsible for this callousness,” the DC said.

According to SSP Soni, 12 of these lincence-holder POs were involved in heinous crimes.

He said a team of officials is working to fix accountability of the cops in this regard.

Soni said the process to detect a suspected anomaly in issuance and renewal of arm licences began after a monthly crime meeting with the district and sessions judge Parminder Pal Singh in November.

Soni said the anomaly could be detected due to the recently digitised data of licence-holders.