Gujarat: 25 weapons seized; 21 detained for getting arms licences through suspicious means
Surendranagar (PTI): As many as 25 weapons were seized and 21 persons detained in Gujarat’s Surendranagar district for allegedly obtaining arms licences from Nagaland and Manipur through suspicious means and buying firearms using them, police said Sunday.
Of the 21 detained, 17 bought 25 weapons worth about Rs 25 lakh, while others had only got licences made in their names, said Deputy Superintendent of Police Nikunj Patel.
The official said that 14 of these firearm owners have antecedents, including murder, attempt to murder, extortion and mineral theft. A probe is underway to ascertain if the other three have any criminal history, he said.
The official said police recently got input that some persons in Surendranagar district had obtained arms licences from other states, especially two northeastern states.
Police subsequently identified 21 such persons who had got licences from Manipur and Nagaland through agents based in Gujarat, Haryana and the two north-eastern states with the help of bogus documents, the official said.
Using the licences, 17 of them collectively bought 5 pistols, 12 revolvers, and 8 Barbour rifles, from Gujarat and other states. Eight of these individuals kept two weapons each, he said.
“Further action has been taken by seizing the weapons and licences to conduct a thorough investigation into the suspicious licence issue,” said the official.
A team of the district special operations group was sent to the northeastern states to question people from whom licences were obtained, he added.
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TN Assembly elections: Eight-month pregnant homemaker wins Thiru Vi Ka Nagar seat for TVK
Chennai (PTI): Before giving birth, she had already delivered a mandate—a symbol of hope for Thiru Vi Ka Nagar.
Echoing Delhi’s 2013 “common citizen” political churn associated with the rise of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), an eight-month-pregnant homemaker, M R Pallavi, has been elected as an MLA from Chennai’s Thiru Vi Ka Nagar constituency, emerging as one of the notable first-time faces of the Vijay-led TVK in the recently held Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
In the narrow lanes of Thiru Vi Ka Nagar, a steady stream of media personnel has been making their way to Pallavi’s residence—a scene reminiscent of the result day in Delhi when journalists thronged the modest home of Rakhi Birla, who had won from Mangolpuri on an AAP ticket.
Pallavi, 36, a homemaker educated up to class XII, defeated the DMK candidate K S Ravichandran by a margin of 22,333 votes in the reserved Thiru Vi Ka Nagar Assembly constituency.
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam emerged as the single largest party by winning 108 seats, while DMK and AIADMK got 59 and 47, respectively.
Pallavi’s victory has drawn attention due to her personal circumstances. She campaigned extensively while eight months pregnant, going door-to-door to reach voters.
According to local accounts, she even fainted once during the campaign but continued her outreach.
She has not spoken to the media following her victory, as doctors have advised her to rest. Her husband, Rajesh, briefly recounted her campaign efforts.
A self-professed admirer of actor-turned-politician Vijay, Pallavi joined TVK soon after its formation and is now among its first-time legislators.
Doctors have advised her to be hospitalised around May 20, as she is expecting her second child. Ahead of that, voters in Thiru Vi Ka Nagar have entrusted her with representing them in the state Assembly.
Political observers say the rise of candidates like Pallavi signals a possible shift in Tamil Nadu’s political landscape, with voters backing a new party and candidates from non-traditional backgrounds.
