JAMMU: In a surprise licence verification drive launched by District Magistrate, Jammu pertaining to the sale and keep of guns, there is panic among couple of dealers who are running their shops in violation of Arms Act 2016 for the past several years.
Reliable sources disclosed that a team of DC office Jammu led by a senior officer started the verification drive of shops falling in their jurisdiction which are dealing in the sale of guns and ammunition.
“On Tuesday, a team of DC office Jammu reached Residency Road and start checking of relevent documents of all shops engage in sale of guns in the area. During, the course of verification one dealer allegedly failed to produce documents pertaining to licence required for running bussiness of Arms and Ammunition” reveals our reliable sources.
As the shop owner failed to satisfy the verification team about non display of permission from competent authority as well as licence in the shop, the senior officer verbally ordered the dealer to refrain from open the shop untill the production of authentic documents, added sources.
If sources are to believed several gun dealers for the last several years in Jammu district are running shops without renewal of licence from competent authority.
“For the past several years some shady gun dealers who are facing criminal cases for their alleged involvement in issuance of fake gun licences to outsiders in alleged connivance with the some lower level official of DM office managed to continue sale of guns in shop without renewal of shop licence from the competent authority” alleged reliable sources.
Pertinent to mentioned here that as per Arms Act 2016 every gun dealer need to obtained permission/licence to operate shop for sale of guns to consumers.
In addition, those facing criminal cases are not eligible for grant of licence/ renewal of licence to engage in business for sale of guns.
Talking to the Jk Global News, Additional District Magistrate, Jammu Ghanshyam Singh while confirming the verification drive, said ” It’s a routine drive launched at the behest of Home Department to end malpractices in the sale of guns”
“Scrutiny of documents of all gun dealers falling in Jammu District is underway and once it get completed, the authority will initiate action against those dealers who are selling guns in their shops in violation of law of the land” Singh added.