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State 'big shots' possess guns without valid license
Friday August 25 2006 00:32 IST
HYDERABAD: Dozens of IAS, IPS, IFS officers and even Ministers including Home Minister K Jana Reddy are in possession of a gun without a valid license.
As per the rules, they deserve issue of a "show cause notice". But no such action is taken. On the contrary, the police department is "requesting" them to kindly get their license renewed!
According to information gathered by Express, besides Jana Reddy, Information Minister Ali Shabber Mohd, Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy's brother and Kadapa MP Y S Vivekananda Reddy, as many as three dozen officers belonging to all India services who were issued gun licenses several years ago, failed to get them renewed.
Normally, a person who fails to get the license renewed receives a show-cause notice from the police. But the babus and VIPs receive a polite reminder.
Sources in Home department told this correspondent that when "request" letters were sent to them, most of them cited "pre-occupance with other work" as a reason for not renewing the licenses.
"IPS officers already have official weapons given by the Government. But most of them applied for licenses to have personal weapons. Is it not unauthorised to possess a weapon whose license has lapsed?" officials questioned.
As per the rules, the licensee is supposed to get the licenses renewed once in every three years. Express is in possession of the confidential documents consisting the names of most of those IAS, IPS and IFS officers and their spouses who failed to get their licenses renewed.
The list of defaulters include: -- Union Minister Dasari Narayana Rao, Information Minister Mohammed Ali Shabbir and former TDP minister K Vijaya Rama Rao.
IAS and IPS officers: Ajay Jain, K Parusuram, M Samuel, H S Brahma, M Subramanyam, Bhale Rao and C Srinivasa Sastry while the senior IPS officers include Sudeep Lakhtakia and S K Jayachandra and former DGP M V Bhaskara Rao.
Women defaulters: Shalu Lakhtakia, wife of IPS officer Sudeep Lakhtakia, Shobha Tiwari, wife of senior IPS officer S R Tiwari and N Vijaya Lakshmi, wife of IPS officer N Madan Mohan.
The renewal date differed in each case with some dating back to 2001. Interestingly, the police department followed rules by issuing show-cause notices to nearly 250 "ordinary persons" who too failed to renew their licenses.
Indian politicians have unlicensed guns - police admit
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penpusher
On a license having expired and not being renewed within 1 month of the date of expiry,the posession of the firearm by the licensee becomes illegal and the weapon along with the ammo has to be deposited with a dealer or at a police station. No reminder is infact required.If the license has not been renewed for a long period of time then a notice to show cause as to why the license be not cancelled and the weapon ordered to be disposed off and also the reason for the inordinate delay,is to be issued.If the delay is of a couple of years then police verification can also ordered .This off course is for ordinary mortals.
Take care,
penpusher
Take care,
penpusher