M/S Himalayan Arms Company, a gun manufacturing unit in Gangyal, has been running the factory on forged license as reported by the Union Home Ministry in response to a communication from the District Magistrate of Jammu. The factory has been officially sealed and about 400 guns, mostly double barrel, have been seized and placed under the custody of police. Another gun factory, M/S Jagjit Gun Works, also located in Gangyal, is going to be sealed for same reason. The interesting thing in this context is that it was neither the police nor the administration that detected the fake documents used by the owners to carry on their manufacturing enterprise but a third party, namely the Gun Manufacturing Association Jammu, had in 2012 filed a petition before the High Court that the two manufacturers were running factories with fake and illegal documents.
The possibility of fire arms falling in wrong hands cannot be ruled out. It will be recollected that during the recent Kishtwar communal riots, the mobs attacked and stole firearms from a local gun factory. The factory in question did not have the proper license for manufacturing the guns. In view of sensitivity of security matters of our State, it is inadvisable not to have complete and foolproof control on the manufacturing of firearms by local gun factories. It is security risk and has to be brought under control. The police are duty bound to see that illegal arms are not manufactured or supplied. The Home Ministry has laid down certain norms and conditions which have to be fulfilled before license for establishing a gun factory is given. The District Commissioner has taken the right step by invoking the relevant law and sealed the factory that has not been able to produce genuine license.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel