Guns from terrorists go to politicians, bureaucrats in Punjab

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Guns from terrorists go to politicians, bureaucrats in Punjab

Expensive weapons sold for a fraction of their price; many families get more than one

Chandigarh, November 24:Want a Chinese .32 bore revolver that costs over Rs 2 lakh for just Rs 25,000? Or a 7.62 MM Mouser Pistol that costs over Rs 3 lakh for less than one-fifth the price? If you want foreign-made weapons at almost a fraction of the market price, Punjab is the place for you.

Data provided by the Punjab Home Department in response to an RTI application filed by The Sunday Express shows that since October 2003, the Home Department has allotted 274 weapons recovered from terrorists or criminals. All these weapons were allotted when the Congress government led by Capt Amarinder Singh was ruling the state and 80 per cent of these went to politicians, police officers and bureaucrats.

The “secret” notification pertaining to the sale/allotment of confiscated/seized weapons issued by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs on October 16, 2001, clearly says that only those persons who face grave threat to their lives are eligible for allotment of such weapons.

However, many bureaucrats and politicians who served in the Amarinder Singh government were among the chosen few. A large number of sarpanches owing allegiance to the Congress were also on the list.


If former Punjab Chief Secretary Rajan Kashyap, who is the state Chief Information Commissioner now, got a .32 bore revolver on November 27, 2003, his son Anurag Kashyap too got a similar weapon on the same day. However, Kashyap Jr had to shell out an extra Rs 10,000 for the weapon.
Also, sons and daughters of some bureaucrats too managed to get weapons allotted in their names. While Irfan Siddiqui, whose father AA Siddiqui was Punjab DGP, got a .12 bore DBBL gun for Rs 15,000, Sumit Chalia, whose father RS Chalia was a senior IPS officer, got a .32 bore pistol for Rs 30,000.

Former Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission chairman Kashmir Singh Patti, who was largely seen as an anti-Badal leader propped up by the Congress, and his two sons applied and got weapons.

While Kashmir Singh Patti got a .12 bore DBBL gun for just Rs 3,500, his two sons Mandeep Singh and Maninder Singh got .315 bore rifle and 7.62 MM Pistol Mouser, respectively.

Sources in the government say that even though there are over 1,000 applications pending with the Home Department for allotment of weapons, the Parkash Singh Badal government has decided against allotting any weapon in the near future.
When contacted, Punjab Chief Secretary Ramesh Inder Singh said the allotments were made as per an old policy. “However, we will see if there is need to have a relook at the policy pertaining to sale of confiscated weapons,” he added. State police chief NPS Aulakh felt the weapons could instead be given to the Punjab Police.

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