Indore: In a major operation, a combined team of crime branch, Azad Nagar and Central Kotwali police arrested six men with 35 firearms on Monday. The accused include the firearm manufacturers and their agents who had become active just after unlock 1.0 to supply illegal weapons.
IG Vivek Sharma said that the crime branch officials were instructed to keep an eye on the activities of antisocials after unlock 1. On the direction of ASP (crime) Rajesh Dandotiya, a team was formed to monitor people who are habitual criminals. The crime branch team came to know that some criminals of Dhar, Barwani and Khargone districts are in contact with their agents in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh to supply illegal firearms. The team was developing the lead when they received a tip-off that Dilawar Singh Sikligar from Anjad in Barwani district is going to deliver firearms to someone in Azad Nagar area.
Acting on the information, crime branch and a team from Azad Nagar police station managed to arrest him from the area. The police team seized 10 country-made firearms including 6 pistols and two live cartridges from accused Dilawar. During questioning, Dilawar told police that to satisfy his customers, he has to testfire the weapons before them and that is why he was carrying the cartridges. Accused Dilawar confessed selling firearms to Sanjay of Shanti Nagar and Ravi Barole of Azad Nagar area of the city, and the police arrested the two with two firearms and live cartridges.
Dilawar also informed the police that he along with his accomplice Anil alias Golu Shinde of Singhana (Dhar) had come to the city to supply the weapons. Dilawar told police that Anil was in Central Kotwali area to sell the firearms to someone. The crime branch and Central Kotwali police team arrested Anil and recovered six firearms and a live cartridge.
Following a lead given by accused Anil, the police arrested Ashvin Maratha of Aerodrome with two firearms and a live cartridge. Another person named Manish alias Billi of Dev Nagar who is an agent for supplying firearms was also arrested by the police with 7 firearms and a live cartridge from Kotwali area. IG Sharma said that accused Dilawar Singh is a criminal and he was making the illegal weapons under the guise of being a locksmith.