82 pc firearms used by criminals illegal

[mundaire]

Courtesy Shutzen

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20100412/cth1.htm

Countrymade weapons much in use
82 pc firearms used by criminals in city since 2000 illegal
Ramanjit Singh Sidhu
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, April 11

The long wait for procuring a valid arms licence has not helped in lowering the crime rate. Firearms used by criminals in various incidents reported in the city show that their supply is much greater than the licensed ones. Over four-fifth, 82 per cent, of the firearms used in different crimes in the city during the last nine years were illegal.

In the period from January 1, 2000, to September, 2009, of the total 88 cases registered under provisions of the Arms Act, as many as 72 cases pertained to the use of countrymade weapons in the crime.

Going by the fact that it is not easy to obtain a licensed weapon, criminals prefer to go for an easy and cheap purchase. A countrymade pistol, called ‘katta’, is readily available in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. For obvious reasons, the major one being avoiding easy identification, a criminal will not opt to use a licensed weapon.

Giving details, a senior police officer said, “Criminals prefer using a ‘use-and-throw’ weapon. Even those weapons that are recovered cannot be traced to their source. It is incredible that despite full public knowledge about the weapons being easily available in the neighbourhood, state governments concerned have done nothing substantial to check the problem. It is very difficult for us to carry out any investigation or ground action in the territory of another state.”

“In normal routine, the process of getting an arms licence is a tedious one. A gun manufactured at an ordnance factory costs between Rs 85,000 and Rs 1 lakh,” said Rajesh Sharma, president of the local unit of the Anti-Terrorist Front.

Sharma retrieved data on the use of illegal and licensed firearms in crime in the period between January 1, 2000, and September, 2009, to analyse crime trends in the city.

Information provided by the Chandigarh police revealed that of the 88 cases registered under the Arms Act, licensed weapons were used only in 16 incidents, of which three were of suicide and the rest involved their use in self-defence.

National Crime Record Bureau studies showed that of the 33,428 murders committed in 2007 in the country, only 598 murders (1.79 per cent) were committed using licensed weapons.

Readily Available

‘Katta’, a countrymade pistol, is easily available from Muzaffarnagar, Shamli and Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh as well as several places in Bihar. The pistol, priced between Rs 1,500 and Rs 5,000, is made from crude raw material, including water pipes and steering wheels. The weapon is available through a ‘source’, which can be a goon from the local colony, who gets a share in the purchase.

The point to note is that even the small number of cases which were registered against people who used LEGAL firearms, they were used either in self defence OR suicides NOT in the commission of violent crimes against other citizens.

Cheers!
Abhijeet

[snIPer]

Finally some Sane report on firearms.
" Everybody " knows that licensed firearms are NOT used in crimes, who will go through all the trouble to get a valid firearm and then use that in a crime - Common sense.

"everybody" also know that a person having a firearm is less likely to be on the receiving end of a crime.

Be Armed - Be Safe.
/S/

[goodboy_mentor]

Main issue in India is that the fundamental Rights of citizens are in a very sorry state of affairs, hence the misery in almost every aspect of life. There is no doubt criminals prefer to use illegal weapons since they are cheap and disposable. The main question is, even if criminals use 100% legal arms for crime, does that mean the citizens will be made to loose their first God given Fundamental Right of Self Defense by disarming them under the pretext that criminals are using weapons? Criminals do not conduct their business by the availability of legal or illegal arms. They go by available opportunity to commit crime, and unarmed citizen provides them one of the best opportunity to commit crime. Hence under no circumstance/or excuse the fundamental rights of citizens be violated.
Article 21 of Constitution guarantees the right to life of all persons, hence corollary to it we have Sections 96 to 106 IPC for the Right of Private Defense. But these rights have been practically taken away from citizens with help of Arms Act 1959 and its sub-laws/implementations. Not only the fundamental Right to Life has been infringed, also the fundamental right to Freedom of Movement gets infringed since unarmed person is not able to move to places and/or at times when he thinks fit only to move in armed condition. Example: I want to take my family member at night to hospital due to emergency but there is the need to travel only in armed condition, since I am am not allowed to keep arms for self defense I will either stay at home violating my fundamental right to movement, hence putting the life of my family member under medical emergency in danger(also violation of fundamental right to life) or decide to put my as well as my family member's life in danger of being violated by criminals by traveling unarmed(also violation of fundamental right to life).

[Anand]

Yeah good article!
By the babu's logic, since the Maoists are using stolen Police firearms against the Police should they be disarming the Police!
Anand

[goodboy_mentor]

By the babu's logic, since the Maoists are using stolen Police firearms against the Police should they be disarming the Police!

An interesting article by Mrinal Pande about illegal arms at : http://www.livemint.com/2008/12/1523580 ... of-la.html. As per the article-

Profits are high as each tamancha costs them roughly Rs250 to manufacture and is sold for twice as much at least. The gunsmiths make something like Rs1 lakh a month on an average. During elections, profits rise as they receive bulk orders and must work with a team to meet deadlines.......The police is not a problem but an integral part of the business, according to knowledgeable sources. The manufacturers claim they need to give a regular cut to local authorities who thereafter turn a blind eye to the trade. Occasionally, the police may also procure kattas or tamanchas from these factories. These are then “planted” during raids.

So long concerned "authorities" get good money or good threat they are a part of business. One can guess the possible real role of police and how Maoists might be stealing and pilfering the police weapons.

[gverma]

Here is the point of some people I was talking to in my office which sounds strange to me....
1. They believe its states responsibility to protect its people..... so I asked can there be a cop with every person... the debate which went ahead was looking at an ideal world with no arms.. and so on... so people in our country at some point of time are being thought that GUNS are bad....

2. If everyone owns an arm... then we will become a barbaric tribe.... "Power flows from a barrel of Gun"... This was the point at which I thought the debate won't go anywhere

[goodboy_mentor]

They believe its states responsibility to protect its people

Looks good only on paper and in theory only to the ignorant living in fantasy land. First inalienable God given Fundamental Right is self defense, under no circumstances it can be delegated to anybody else or the state. State machinery cannot be present at all places and at all times. Also what if the state is corrupt and inefficient? What if the state is slowly taken over by despots and barbarians? Ask them to read history, how the despots and barbarians had take over countries belonging to unarmed/ill armed citizenry living in their make believe world of fantasy. Arms are the teeth to the freedom and liberty of citizens in any democracy, else those democracies are slowly taken over by scoundrels. Arms are next in importance to the Constitution itself, else the Constitution becomes just a piece of paper in hands of citizens.

If everyone owns an arm... then we will become a barbaric tribe.... "Power flows from a barrel of Gun"... This was the point at which I thought the debate won't go anywhere

It is a question of balance of power, if you are powerless, criminals are bound to take over. It is the choice of people either keep the barbarians away by maintaining balance of power or let the barbarians take over. Tell those ignorant people, if you do not defend yourself, the barbarians will rule over you. This is exactly the situation in India, law abiding do not have arms and criminals by the very nature of business are fully armed by all kinds of weapons. I am not surprised, it is because of the slave mentality of these type of self styled, so called "intellectuals" as a result of centuries of subjugation. India has one of the most strict gun laws in the world, is the insurgency/violent crime in various parts of the country going on with weapons duly acquired by legal procedure?

[nagarifle]

The logic behind "Power flows from a barrel of Gun" is childish, if this was true then everyone of us are under the power of the gun, the police have guns and the state controls the army, police etc. so who ever makes this kind of statement must be having a gun pointed his/her head and lives in a despot country.

[jonahpach]

Returning to the topic.. a couple of nights ago on NDTv. There was a short program on illegal firearms in which the anchor commented that the reason there was a proliferation of illegal weapons was that quote "It is very difficult for criminals to get arms licence" unquote! What a joke! These people really dont get the point!

Jonah

[nagarifle]

sometimes i think that people at large are afraid to face the facts. so they invent their own facts and ideas which goes contrary to any known and proven facts. in this way they hide from the truth and live happy ever after until one day........

[eljefe]

A long time ago, when i was young and impressionable, there used to be a progun writer-Mann,based out of NY I think.He had come out with all these postulates and definitions in the 70's and 80's for a pro gun society and how criminals and illegal arms are definitely influenced by the armed citizen.
The cops have a major predilection for fudging NCRB stats-like how they will not give you a B report for a stolen car or property-because it is an UNSOLVED crime and is bad for their records.So, be prepared for the reverse here-any crime, which has the faintest relation to arms act IS converted to one under the Arms Act! bonus points I think?I wouldnt be surprised if the real no was 1/10 the quoted no

[goodboy_mentor]

sometimes i think that people at large are afraid to face the facts. so they invent their own facts and ideas which goes contrary to any known and proven facts. in this way they hide from the truth and live happy ever after until one day........

I agree, what you have told is the real truth.

The cops have a major predilection for fudging NCRB stats-like how they will not give you a B report for a stolen car or property-because it is an UNSOLVED crime and is bad for their records.So, be prepared for the reverse here-any crime, which has the faintest relation to arms act IS converted to one under the Arms Act! bonus points I think?I wouldnt be surprised if the real no was 1/10 the quoted no

I agree, police always tries its best to not only keep its records clean but also tries to show that it is doing something great. I recall reading a case that happened in state of U.P. , where Section 144 CrPC was imposed in a city and a man was carrying licensed revolver for his self defense and police arrested him for violating section 144 CrPC!!!.(Section 144 CrPC was issued for prohibition of assemblage of 5 or more people) The arms license of that fellow was suspended by District Magistrate and he had to approach High Court to get his Arms Licensed restored. High Court was satisfied that the he had not violated section 144 CrPC and suspension of his license was illegal.