Election is a time when certain seemingly strange and incongruous facts in public life come to light. For instance, the drive of election authorities to get deposited all licensed personal firearms in Adilabad has revealed a heavy demand for weapons which does not seem congruous with the image of a peaceful place like this district.
According to police, a licence for personal firearm is issued only in the event of an individual perceives threat to his life. A majority of the applicants therefore are political leaders, businessmen and realtors besides of course, the security personnel at places like banks.
According to official statistics, the number of licences for firearms to be issued since 2010 has seen a sharp rise. If it was 270 in that year the number rose to 320 the following year owing to issue of 50 new licences.
A steep rise was noticed again in 2012 when 394 licences were issued including 74 new ones and the following year when 77 new licences were issued to take the total to 471. At present, there are 498 licensed personal firearms in the district including those that were drawn by several bank security details.
Adilabad police Sub-Division accounted for the highest number of arms licences with 141 and Nirmal came second with 107 followed by Utnoor with 70 and Mancherial with 65. The latter, considered being more ‘volatile’ has less than half the number of licences issued in Adilabad while a decisively peaceful place like Utnoor boast of as many as 70 personal firearm licences.
“The demand is rooted in the ever increasing number of the neo-rich and politicians in society. Carrying a personal firearm which, all political leader seem to do, is a matter of prestige,” opines a police officer on conditions of anonymity.
