As per the data shared by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) cases registered under Arms Act 1959 increased from 101 in 2017 to 199 in 2021. Police attribute the spike in cases to domestic violence, stress, and easy access to firearms.
These findings come at a time when a 27-year-old conservancy worker, identified as Akshay Prakash Bhise was shot dead by two motorcycle-borne assailants in Chandannagar on August 21. The unidentified assailants fired at least three bullets at Bhise, who died on the spot, police said.
The Indian state media continue to assert that Punjab has a gun culture problem, pointing to #sidhumoosewala. In the 1980s they lied about Sikh "extremism," too. Gov and media lie, but the statistics don't lie. Punjab has one of the lowest per capita gun crime rates in India. pic.twitter.com/QjwzDWSm6o
— ਕੁਲਪ੍ਰੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ Kulpreet Singh (@kulpreetsingh) June 2, 2022
As per data, 101 cases were registered under Arms Act 1959 in 2017, 75 in 2018, and 74 in 2019 and the cases rose to 118 and 199 in 2020 and 2021 respectively. Of these 567 cases registered from 2017 to 2021, 406 were related to illegal/unlicensed firearms.
According to senior police officials, these unlicensed firearms are bought in from West Bengal, Jharkhand and other adjoining districts by migrants who move to Pune. Many youths have used country made pistol for the purpose of creating terror
Amitabh Gupta, Pune police commissioner said, "In last few years the several such gangs have been busted by Pune police to curb the trade of illegal weapons in the city. However, we have instructed stronger policing to weed out the business of illegal firearms. The police are working to identify sources of such illegal gun suppliers to Pune, once we identify them, it will be easier to bust rackets and make arrests."
Past incidents
June 15, 2022: A 45-year-old Taufiq Akhtar Sheikh, was injured after being shot with a gun in the crowded Fashion Street area of Camp
February 8, 2022: Amit Thopte, 32, a resident of Bibwewadi, was sitting with his friends when a group of miscreants open fire at them due to the previous enmity
December 6, 2021: Local builder Sameer Manoor Shaikh (28) was shot dead in a crowded road in south Pune's Katraj area by four men who escaped on a two-wheeler.
This article is adapted from its original source.
