Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): In a significant crackdown on illegal arms smuggling ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Khargone police apprehended two individuals from Haryana and Punjab who had come to purchase illegal firearms.
Acting on a tip-off, a police team, led by Ahirkheda outpost in-charge sub-inspector Dharmendra Yadav, arrested Gurmeet Singh from Pura village in Bathinda district, Punjab, and Vikram, a resident of Mud Kheda block, Adampur district, Hisar, Haryana.
Upon searching the accused, the police found a country-made pistol in possession of Gurmeet Singh and another pistol with Vikram. Further investigation led to the seizure of 22 additional illegal firearms from their possession, bringing the total seized firearms to 24, with an estimated value of approximately Rs 4.7 lakh.
Both accused were unable to produce any licence or documentation for the firearms, leading to their arrest under section 25 of the Arms Act. It was also revealed that an NDPS case is already registered against accused Gurmeet in Punjab.
Another accused, Ramesh Sikligar, managed to flee the scene, leaving behind a bag containing illegal firearms. The police are currently pursuing Ramesh Sikligar and are investigating further into the illegal arms network in Haryana and Punjab.
The arrests were made under the guidance of IG Indore Zone (rural) Anurag and DIG Nimar Range Khargone Atul Singh, who directed Khargone SP Dharamraj, ASP (City) Tarundresingh Baghel and ASP (Rural) Manohar Singh Baria to take effective action against illegal weapons.
A special police team has been formed to identify and dismantle the network of illegal firearms, with a focus on activating the informer system to track down illegal firearms in the region.
