For peaceful polls, cops collect licenced firearms from locals

NAVI MUMBAI: In an effort to ensure peaceful civic elections in the city, the Navi Mumbai ( zone I) police on Wednesday started collecting licenced firearms from the residents.

A committee headed by police commissioner KL Prasad is preparing a list of people possessing sophisticated weapons and asking them to submit those to the nearest police station at the earliest.

“We are mainly enlisting the names of people who have criminal records and who are close to politicians. Senior police inspectors of 10 police stations in zone I are conducting a survey and suggesting us the names of such people from their respective areas,” said Dhanraj Dayama, assistant commissioner of police, Turbhe division.

Dayama said the collected firearms will be in police custody till the poll counting is over. “We want to ensure that no one gets a chance to misuse his or her licenced firearms before and during the elections,” he added.

The police had collected nearly 550 licenced firearms from residents during the Lok Sabha elections last year. More than 150 residents had voluntarily submitted the firearms fearing cancellation of their licences.

“We are also receiving proposals to extern some people from the city ahead of the elections. We are working on it, but no final decision has been taken so far,” said Dayama.

“Professional criminals are hired by various political parties to intimidate or assault people during the elections. At times, these criminals themselves work for various leaders and thus, pose a threat to the law and order situation in the city. Therefore, we are planning to extern some people ahead of this election too,” said another senior police officer.

WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT NO ONE GETS A CHANCE TO MISUSE HIS OR HER LICENCED FIREARMS BEFORE AND DURING THE [CIVIC] ELECTIONS. DHANRAJ DAYAMA, assistant commissioner of police, Turbhe division