Two police personnel were injured in a shootout by Kalaburagi police to arrest an accused involved in illegal firearms smuggling near Gobbur village in Afzalpur taluk in the district on Monday morning.
Acting on a tip-off, a team led by Mahagaon sub-inspector Pradeep laid a trap. In self-defence the police opened fire after the accused attacked assistant sub-inspector Shivappa with a lethal weapon, injuring the police personnel. The police seized four country-made pistols and 8 live rounds from him. He has been booked for possession of an illegal firearm under the Fire Arms Act and also for attempt to commit theft.
The accused, Arjun, is a resident of Hole Bhosga and wanted in many cases.
The police personnel were shifted to Basaveshwara Teaching and General Hospital while the accused was admitted to the government general hospital.
Weapons, ammunition recovered
On Sunday night, the police arrested nine persons involved in selling firearms and recovered 20 crude country-made pistols and 54 live rounds.
The R.G. Nagar police arrested Ningappa and seized 2 pistols and 6 live rounds from him; he admitted that he purchased them from Arjun Bhosga and Mallikarjun. Jewargi police arrested Sachin, Mallikarjun, Imam and Malkanna and seized 3 pistols and 9 live rounds; Station Bazar police nabbed Irfan and seized 3 pistols and 7 live rounds for him.
Inspector General of Police (North-Eastern Range) Alok Kumar said that in the last two months, the police have formed a team to tackle the menace of illegal firearms. Acting on tip-off, the police nabbed Arjun and Mallikarjun who were involved in selling and buying country-made guns near Gobbur village.
He said that the illegal sale of firearms increases in the border region of Karnataka and Maharashtra during the annual car festival at Deval Ganagapur village in Afzalpur taluk. These illegal country-made guns are manufactured in foundries in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar, and sold in Maharashtra and parts of northern Karnataka.
“After a week, the Kalaburagi Additional Superintendent of Police Lokesh will visit Selva in Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh, and coordinate with his counterparts there so that we could put an end to supply of illegal firearms in parts of north Karnataka including Vijayapura, Bagalkot, Bidar and Kalaburagi,” Mr. Alokkumar said.
f the nine arrested, Arjun and Mallikarjun admitted that they were close associates of Chandappa Harijan, a gangster who was killed in 2000.
Mr. Alokkumar said that the North-Eastern Range police have seized 30 illegal firearms and 78 live rounds in the last two months and will continue the drive.
The Kalaburagi police have been rewarded with a cash prize of Rs. 1 lakh for the good work.
