The Hindu : Connivance of officials being probed

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Apr 08, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad

Connivance of officials being probed

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD April 7. Is it complicity or negligence on part of the officials in Ranga Reddy district and the State Home Department for giving a nod to the re-registration of five fake gun licences?

Three weeks after busting the Nagaland-based gun licence racket, the Hyderabad police are still grappling for an answer to this question.

The police officials on Monday claimed that all the licences purportedly to have been issued by the Nagaland Government were fabricated by brokers. This was confirmed by the special police party of the West Zone on their return from Nagaland on Sunday. However, the police are yet to begin their investigation into the involvement of officials in the re-registration of these licences.

"Re-registration of gun licences is a minor issue from the investigation point of view when compared to tracing the origin of fake licences," the Additional Commissioner of Police, A. K. Khan, replying to a question at a press conference said on Monday.

On March 16, sleuths of the Hyderabad Police Commissioner's Task Force (Central) busted a Nagaland-based gun licence racket. A special police team was sent to Nagaland to ascertain whether the licences were issued by the Nagaland Government or were fabricated.

Four such licences were re-registered with the Ranga Reddy district Collectorate and one with the State Home Department. The higher-ups announced that investigation was on to find out the connivance of Government officials in the re-registration of these licences.

All the seized gun licences, which turned out to be fake were under the `All India' category. As per the Arms Act provisions, only either the Union Home Ministry or the Home Department of the State concerned shall issue licences under such category. Now the question is how did the authorities of Ranga Reddy district Collectorate and the State Home Department clear re-registration of such licences? Were these officials not aware of the basic provisions of the Act? What prevented the West Zone police in questioning the officials concerned for the last three weeks?

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