Bhopal News: Gun Culture Rising Among High Profile Youths

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): High profile youths are developing a penchant for illegal firearms, with even educated professionals now being linked to the procurement and smuggling of weapons.

Besides regular arrests of criminals with firearms, recently cops have also apprehended youths with weapons, though they have no past criminal records.

Police officials said that illegal firearms in Madhya Pradesh were usually manufactured in districts like Khandwa and nearby regions. Most gun smuggling rackets have their roots connected to these areas. Some educated youths with no past crime records often harbour an intense desire to possess firearms and purchase the semi-automatic pistols for Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000.

To note, in a recent action, the Crime Branch team raided a farmhouse in Kajlikheda area on Wednesday and arrested an accountant Mayanknath Chauhan aka Nattu with an illegal pistol and two magazines. He was found sitting inside a SUV with the loaded pistol. During interrogation, Chauhan claimed the pistol belonged to his friend Vansh Malviya of Itarsi.

Earlier, on March 17, Bengaluru Crime Branch arrested a civil engineer, Syed Irfan Rizvi from his residence in BDA Colony in Koh-e-Fiza area. Despite his professional background, Irfan was allegedly involved in supplying illegal pistols in Madhya Pradesh and other states. Police seized two pistols and a revolver along with some ammunition from him.

DJ Yaseen gang also had illegal pistols

Last year, Bhopal Crime Branch busted a racket linked to DJ Yaseen Machhli, who was involved in illegal firearms and drug racket. A semi-automatic pistol was seized from him and later three of his associates were also arrested with weapons. Investigations revealed that the group not only had a fascination for firearms but was also engaged in their supply.

Crime Branch Inspector Anil Yadav said that further investigation was underway to uncover the network to which the recently arrested accountant was linked.