History-sheeters using firearms licences from Northeast

Rajkot: Police here have come across a new method history-sheeters are using to get firearms licences, using northeastern states. In separate incidents, Surendranagar and Morbi police seized 33 firearms for which licences has been issued from Manipur and Nagaland.
According to police, those involved in criminal activities or those with criminal records are ineligible for firearm licences in Gujarat. Licence applications of such individuals are typically rejected even if they apply.
Police came across some such persons using weapons, who when summoned produced licences obtained from Manipur and Nagaland. Surendranagar police seized 25 weapons from 17 individuals. Four persons were found to have licences but did not possess firearms.
On questioning these persons, police discovered that they had procured firearms licenses through agents — Mukesh Bharwad, Chella Bharwad and Vijay Bharwad, residents of Surat, and Shaukat Ali, a resident of Haryana. They bought firearms from other states using these licenses.
A person seeking a firearms licence is legally required to provide proof of residence to the authorities. Police say the agents helped these persons prepare rent agreements as proof of residence and helped them arrange other documents. These persons got the licences from these states without ever travelling there.
Inspector B H Singrakhiya of the Surendranagar police special operations group (SOG) said, "We have sent a team to Nagaland to get the documents used to get the licences issued and find out under what circumstances the authorities there issued these licences. We have seized the weapons under provisions of the Arms Act, as these individuals, even if they have obtained licences from other states, must inform us about possessing firearms licences while living in our jurisdiction."
In a similar manner, Morbi police booked eight people and seized nine firearms. All of these persons had obtained licences from Manipur and Nagaland, and all have criminal histories, making them ineligible for licences in Gujarat.
According to police sources, in the northeastern states, all police information regarding weapon licences and criminal activity is not available online. The team that has been sent there is looking for the relevant information in physical files.