7,900 license holders surrender guns in Telangana

As many as 7,900 gun licence holders across the State surrendered their weapons at the police stations concerned in view of the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.

Of the 7,900 licence holders, over 50 per cent are from Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Rachakonda Police Commissionerates, said Additional Director-General of Police, Jitender. During Assembly elections held in December last year, 8,482 weapons were deposited while 11 unlicenced weapons were seized and 39 arms licences were cancelled.

Jitender said the gun license holders, who failed to surrender their weapons, should abide by the norms and complete the process at the earliest.

“As of now, we have not seized any illegal weapon during checking,” he said. The Police Department has already issued notification asking licence holders to deposit their weapons either at the police station concerned or with authorised arms dealer on or before March 20.

The department has warned the weapon holders of penal action under appropriate provisions of law apart from



confiscating the weapon if they failed to deposit their weapon. The weapon can be collected on or after May 27 after completion of election process.

The police, however, exempted those employed on guard duty on the premises of nationalised banks and public sector undertakings. Security guards and the sports persons, who are members of national rifle association and have to participate in various competitions in which they need to use their rifles, were also exempted.

According to officials, over 60 companies of central security forces such as Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Rapid Action Force (RAF) had already been deputed to the sensitive polling stations especially in Maoist affected areas in Khammam, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Jayashankar Bhupalapally, Peddapalli and Karimnagar, among other districts for election bandobust duties.

Additional forces were likely to arrive at the city a few days before April 11, they added.