Household box cutter is new weapon of choice as criminals aim to escape stringent Arms Act
NEW DELHI: From snatchers to contract killers, a new weapon of choice is catching the fancy of criminals of various notoriety in the national capital — the ubiquitous box cutter.
Police say they have begun to increasingly recover these from suspects they apprehend in a variety of crimes, which they see as a significant challenge since these tools are easy to conceal, are not usually classified as dangerous during security checks, and do not meet the threshold for prosecution under the Arms Act — in fact, they are not legally classified as weapons.
Over the last seven months, there were at least nine cases of snatching and robbery in which the suspects used box cutters. But these were cases for which disclosures were particularly made since they were serious; the actual numbers are higher. “On an average day, there are around 20 snatchings — of these, we tend to find at least four or five in which a box cutter was used,” a police official said, asking not to be identified.
“Criminals are smart and know that police cannot book them under the Arms Act if they used a box cutter. We book criminals under Section 25 of the Arms Act when they are caught with a ‘buttondar’ knife,” said a second official, who asked not to be quoted.
“The Arms Act section is a stringent one in terms of punishment. But if a person is caught with a box cutter, we cannot apply it. Legally speaking it is not a weapon, even if it has become one practically. And even if we do, it becomes difficult to establish our case in court,” the second official added. A successful conviction under Section 25 of Arms Act entails no less than five years’ prison term.
NEW DELHI: From snatchers to contract killers, a new weapon of choice is catching the fancy of criminals of various notoriety in the national Capital -- the ubiquitous box cutter.
Police officials say they have begun to increasingly recover these from suspects they apprehend in a variety of crimes, which they see as a significant challenge since these tools are easy to conceal, are not usually classified as dangerous during security checks, and do not meet the threshold for prosecution under the Arms Act.
Over the last seven months, there were at least nine cases of snatching and robbery in which the suspects used box cutters (the police classifies in their paperwork as “paper cutters”). But these were cases for which disclosures were particularly made since they were serious; the actual numbers are higher. “On an average day, there are around 20 snatchings – of these, we tend to find at least four or five in which a box cutter was used,” a police official said.
In these cases, the sharp-edged implement is often use to scare and intimidate targets, but in at least two instances, they were wielded fatally, according to FIRS seen by HT.
“Criminals are smart and know police cannot book them under the Arms Act if they used a box cutter. We book criminals under Section 25 of the Arms Act when they are caught with a ‘buttondar’ knife,” said a second official.
The official’s reference was to a type of switchblade knife also commonly known as the Rampuri Chaku, named after the Uttar Pradesh district where blacksmiths produce it. In these switchblades, the button unfolds the knife in a snap, which otherwise can be concealed in pockets. Not dissimilar in to how the blade of a box cutter is concealed in its plastic sheaf and has to be pushed out before use.
“The Arms Act section is a stringent one in terms of punishment. But if a person is caught with a box cutter, we cannot apply it. Legally speaking, it is not a weapon, even if it has become one
practically. Even if we do, it becomes difficult to establish our case in court,” the second official added.
A successful conviction under Section 25 of Arms Act entails no less than five years’ prison term.
The trick is also making it harder for police to oppose bail in cases of street crimes.
On October 25, a restaurant worker was slashed on the neck
while returning home late at night with a box cutter. Police arrested the suspect and found that he had stolen the implement from an office in Anand Vihar where he worked.
In the March 28 murder of an east Delhi trader in Welcome area, a blood-stained box cutter may have likely laid in plain sight before it was retrieved. “Recovering the weapon in murder cases is important for us during trial. When we questioned the three men, they said they said they had thrown the weapon in a drain in Babarpur. We recovered it,” said a police official involved in the case.
While the Arms Act does not mention dimensions for a blade to be considered a deadly weapon, a 1990 Delhi government notification sets a threshold in particular manner: a licence to purchase or make knives is required if the blade is more than 7.62cm in length and 1.72cm in width.
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation rules say that knives with a blade shorter than 10cm can be carried.
Advocate LN Rao, who retired as a deputy commissioner of police after for over three decades in the Delhi Police, said, “A box cutter is similar to a surgical blade, which is used inside prison. But it is not listed as a weapon even if it is the most common weapon of offence. Habitual criminals, especially snatchers and robbers, are aware these days. They know that a stringent section such as the Arms Act will make it difficult for them to fight their case. “