Dehradun: The Special Task Force (STF) of Uttarakhand Police arrested three individuals late Thursday night for allegedly purchasing firearms from a licensed gun house in Kashipur, Udham Singh Nagar district, using forged arms licences issued in Uttar Pradesh's Shahjahanpur district. The arrests followed a month-long covert investigation into 10 Shahjahanpur licences that were used to buy weapons in Kashipur, officials confirmed on Friday.
Details of the Arrest
STF Superintendent of Police Ajai Singh stated that police seized three semi-automatic pistols and 65 live cartridges from the accused—Naishad Hussain, Azim Pehelwan, and Jatin Kandpal. During the investigation, authorities verified the 10 licences and related documents submitted by the accused to the gun house. All licences were found to be fake upon verification with the Shahjahanpur authorities.
Legal Action and Ongoing Investigation
Following the findings, an FIR was registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Singh emphasized that all the licences turned out to be forged. The investigation is ongoing to identify other individuals involved in the racket. Those who purchased weapons using fake documents are being asked to surrender them voluntarily.
The STF is also examining hundreds of gun licences issued in other states that were used to purchase firearms in Uttarakhand after the holders claimed to have moved their residence to the state. This broader probe aims to uncover the full extent of the fraudulent licence network.
