Bhopal: 28 Shooters Lose Arms Licences Over Misuse
**Bhopal District Administration Cancels Arms Licences of 28 Shooters Following Probe**
Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The district administration has cancelled the arms licences of 28 shooters and suspended two others after a thorough investigation uncovered serious irregularities, including the diversion of ammunition to criminal elements.
The action comes in the wake of a four-day verification drive conducted in August, which revealed widespread misuse of the sports licence category. Many individuals who had originally obtained firearms for self-defence were found exploiting this category for other purposes.
According to officials, numerous licence holders acquired multiple weapons by falsely claiming participation in competitive shooting. However, these individuals failed to meet basic competition standards and had not participated in any national or international shooting events for years.
The probe also uncovered alarming practices involving ammunition. Some shooters were using cartridges meant solely for practice or tournaments for personal use, while others were allegedly involved in illegal arms trading. Additionally, several licence holders submitted false declarations during licence renewals, with some concealing pending criminal cases. Many failed to properly account for practice cartridges, a mandatory requirement under the licensing norms.
The detailed report, prepared by Bairagarh SDM Ravi Shankar Rai in coordination with police officials, named 30 individuals, including Syed Ayan Uddin, Farhan Ul Haq, Akhilendra Singh, Shafiq Khan, Mustafa Ali, and Sania Khan. Notably, at least three of those listed already had criminal records.
Following the investigation, Collector Kaushlendra Vikram Singh ordered the immediate cancellation of 28 licences, permanently debarring the holders from obtaining new ones. The remaining two shooters have been suspended and will be required to reappear for verification before any decision is made on reinstating their permits.
Officials emphasized that this crackdown aims to restore accountability in arms licensing and to ensure that the sports category is exclusively reserved for genuine competitive shooting activities.
**Key Highlights:**
– 28 arms licences cancelled; 2 suspended pending re-verification
– Ammunition under sports quota linked to criminal misuse
– False claims and lack of participation in competitions detected
– SDM-led probe covered 30 individuals, leading to strict action
This decisive action sends a clear message that misuse of arms licences and ammunition will not be tolerated in the district.
https://www.freepressjournal.in/bhopal/bhopal-28-shooters-lose-arms-licences-over-misuse
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