Bhopal: Delhi Police’s special cell in a joint operation with Madhya Pradesh police has arrested a 58-year-old man from Panna district, a crucial link to an inter-state chain of gunrunners. The accused identified as Hamid, has link with gun smugglers’ key man who was arrested with country-made pistols in New Delhi September last year.

According to Panna district superintendent of police Vivek Singh, a gunrunner identified as Kalu Sahu, a native of Damoh district was arrested near the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium with country made pistols on September 13, 2018. Sahu’s subsequent grilling by the Delhi Police Special Cell revealed that the guns were sourced from chain of gunrunners operating in Bundelkhand region of MP and UP.

“Based on further investigations, a joint operation by Delhi Police Special Cell and Panna district police was carried out on Tuesday leading to the arrest of 58-year-old Hamid. At least five country-made pistols were recovered from him,” said Singh.

According to sources connected with investigations into the case, Hamid was arrested in 2007 also in connection with gunrunning. Probe has revealed his contacts with gunrunners in Banda district of UP, which is 110 km from MP’s Panna district.

The Delhi Police Special Cell is now trying to figure out more links of the inter-state gunrunning chain active in various parts of MP and UP, mostly in Bundelkhand region. According to sources the state special task force had submitted a detailed report to the DGP Rishi Kumar Shukla in 2016.

In the report a detailed dossier of gunrunning trade in MP, UP and adjoining states, the Banda district of UP’s Bundelkhand region has for over three decades (early 1980s to first decade of 21st century) been home to dreaded dacoit gangs led by Kurmi dacoits, including Shiv Kumar Patel alias Dadua and his close aide Ambika Patel alias Thokia.

Many of the firearms used by those dreaded dacoit gangs were made and supplied by gunmakers and gunrunners active particularly in Banda district of UP’s Bundelkhand region. After the elimination of the dacoit gangs in Bundelkhand, the gunrunners started supplying country made revolvers and pistols to organised criminals in other parts of the country, including West UP, Delhi and NCR.