Accused told police a local arms dealer helped secure licenses
Bivek Mathur
JAMMU, Nov 23: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has seized records and corroborative evidence in the Satwari arms licenses recovery case as part of its broader investigation into the issuance of fraudulent gun licenses to ineligible beneficiaries by certain bureaucrats between 2012 and 2016.
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This case, initially unearthed by a team of Satwari Police Station on the intervening night of July 24-25, 2024, was later handed over to a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Jammu and Kashmir Police (JKP) headed by SDPO Jammu South, Kartik Shrotriya, for detailed investigation.
Sources said while the CBI has yet to officially take over the case from the JKP’s SIT, the Central agency has begun examining evidence to link it with its ongoing investigation into the issuance of fake licenses to armed forces and paramilitary personnel, mostly non-UT residents, in exchange of monetary considerations.
Quoting the investigation of the J&K Police’s SIT into the case so far, sources said that the prime accused in the Satwari gun license case, Tirath Singh, the retired defence personnel, has revealed that he procured the fake licenses through a local arms dealer, who passed away in 2018.
According to them, Singh has also informed the SIT that this arms dealer secured the licenses through some judicial clerks posted in the offices of several District Magistrates, whose (judicial clerks’) roles are also under investigation.
“Since the role of these judicial clerks has surfaced in the CBI’s existing investigation into arms license cases, the agency has seized the records in the current (Satwari) case as well and is likely to take over the case officially soon,” sources said.
They added that Singh also revealed that of the 420 individuals who received the fake arms licenses, only 2-3, all retired defence personnel, are locals, while the rest are outsiders, most of whom are also retired defence personnel.
The police investigation, according to sources, has also uncovered discrepancies in the dates of the issuance of the gun licenses and the receipt dates.
“These discrepancies also fall under the purview of the ongoing CBI investigation. As such, the central agency has seized the records in the Satwari arms license case,” sources added.
According to sources, Tirath Singh has also informed the Jammu and Kashmir Police’s SIT that arms dealers in J&K assist retired defence personnel in obtaining the gun licenses by colluding with the judicial clerks posted in the offices of District Magistrates in exchange of monetary consideration.
“The arms dealers’ connections help defence personnel systematically facilitate the issuance of the gun licenses,” sources said.
Pertinently, the case came to light on the night of July 24-25, 2024, when a team of Satwari Police Station raided an under-construction building at Karanbagh locality based on intelligence that Tirath Singh was preparing, selling, and storing fake licenses. The raid resulted in the recovery of 417 fake licenses and other incriminating documents.
Subsequently, an FIR (No. 177/2024) under sections 318(4), 339, 336, 340(2), and 61(2) of the BNSS was registered at Police Station Satwari.
As the investigation progressed, three more fake licenses were recovered on July 30, 2024. Tirath Singh is currently out on bail.
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