No new arms licence will be issued in J&K

DCs asked to revoke Licenses issued in violation of Rules

JAMMU: In view of the ire it has been facing from Union Home Ministry, besides Rajasthan Police in the fake gun licences scam, the state government has decided to seize the issuance of fresh individual arms license in any part of Jammu and Kashmir, while ordering the District Magistrates (DMs) to revoke all such licences that were issued without fulfilling all the perquisite conditions as prescribed in the Arms Rules, 2016.

The government has also decided to extend its investigation- currently going on in 8 districts- to the entire state, referring it to the State Vigilance Organization.

While the government has not imposed any ban on renewal of arms licences, the District Magistrates have been asked to ensure strict compliance with the provisions of the Arms rules.
The strict action was impending in view of the scam which has rocked the state, after the Rajasthan Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) had caught some person with weapons procured on fake licences issued from Jammu and Kashmir, followed by a MHA communiqué in the same connection.

While the state government had, on the basis of details generated from National Database for Arms Licenses (NDAL) portal which revealed indiscriminate issuance of arms licences in some districts, had barred the as many as eight District Magistrates from issuing any new Individual arms license, pending verification by Divisional Commissioners of Jammu, and Kashmir, it has now decided to extend its investigation to all the licences in all the 22 districts of the state.

The licences to be verified earlier included those issued during the period from 1 January, 2017 to 23 March, 2018; however, now all the licences issued during an unmentioned period of time will be reviewed.

“It was deemed appropriate to have the whole gamut of facts/issues investigated through an impartial investigation agency in addition to the aforementioned enquiries- which are already under way. Accordingly, the matter has been referred to the State Vigilance Organization for investigation and further appropriate action in terms of law,” an official order issued by R K Goyal, Principal Secretary to Government, Home Department read.

The order indicates that certain arrests made in this connection have triggered the strict action. Earlier this week, brother of an IAS Officer Kumar Rajeev Ranjan was arrested by Rajasthan Police, seizing from him over one thousand fake licences and a huge cache of arms. Ranjan was till earlier this month the District Magistrate of Jammu district, before he was attached with the office of Divisional Commissioner Jammu.

“It has been reported that the relevant provisions contained in the Arms Act,1959 and the Arms Rules, 2016 have also not been scrupulously followed in several cases by the concerned Licensing Authority while considering the applications for license and subsequent issuance,” the order mentions.

Now, therefore in light of the above facts and details, it is hereby ordered that no fresh individual arms license shall be issued by the District Magistrate(s) of the State in terms of section 14 (1)(b) (ii) of the Arms Act,1959, till further orders, it read.

“The District Magistrates shall take urgent steps to revoke all such Individual Arms Licences issued to various persons (excluding the personnel belonging to the State Police, Army and CAPFs), consequent to the notification of Arms Rules, 2016, as do not meet all the conditions prescribed in Rule 11 and Rule 12 of the Arms Rules, 2016.

“Further, the District Magistrates shall direct all such persons, whose license is revoked, to deposit any arms or ammunition, with the Officer in-charge of the nearest Police Station, in terms of Section 21 of the Arms Act, 1959, failing which action as warranted under law shall be initiated. This action shall be concluded within 15 days of issue of this order and compliance reported to the Home Department,” it was directed.

Further, all District Magistrates have been asked to ensure strict compliance with the provisions contained in Arm Rules, 2016, at the stage of renewal of an Arms License.

Pertinently, Rajasthan Police Anti-Terror Squad had started 'Operation Zubeida' last year after they arrested two persons involved in violence.

They were arrested after ATS got inputs about a network involved in forging documents to show non-J&K resident beneficiaries as residents of the J&K, besides army and defence personnel posted in the Valley, for issuance of fake arms licenses.

A letter in this connection was darted by the Himanshu, Additional Superintendent of Police (Investigation), ATS, Jaipur (Rajasthan) to J&K Home Commissioner RK Goyal seeking details of top officers posted in the J&K Home Department since 2001.

MHA had sent a communiqué that the reports have been pouring in from Rajasthan about the issuance of arms licenses from J&K State in past years in bulk and that too without adhering to nodal formalities.