The case in point is that of sensational 80 false and fabricated gun licenses allegedly issued to various persons in Doda district. Somehow a complaint lodged with the Crime Branch resulted in the seizure of 80 licenses which are considered fake and fabricated. Evidently, a racket has been at work with involvement of the Government officials in District Doda. The unearthing of the racket is significant as it has come to fore in the aftermath of the communal clashes and riots that have taken place in Doda in recent past and in which gun fire had also taken place. The question is whether obtaining fake gun license is the handiwork of certain officials just for pecuniary purposes or is it a larger conspiracy of the terrorist outfits active in the region so that law and order in the district is sabotaged with some miscreants close to the jihadi outfits creating trouble and panic? When communal disturbance took place in Doda recently, the reports came in that a gun factory had been looted by the rioting public. Later on the police registered a case and began investigating into the gun looting incident. We have not been told what the findings were. A question had also come up at that time demanding whether the gun manufacturing unit had proper authorization, how many guns could it manufacture or keep in store at a time and other related matters. The police should have disclosed full information in this regard but apparently has desisted from doing so. Law and order cannot be strengthened and enforced fully by suppressing the facts and ground realities; these have to be brought to the public domain and dealt with openly so that people understand that there is a Government active and vibrant and no miscreant can escape the vigil of the Government. In a more sensitive area like Doda, it is of much importance that all loopholes are plugged and confidence among the communities is restored. Generally the number of miscreants in a given society is very small but they mange to whip up passions and divert the public opinion to suit their interests.
Possessing a fake gun license is clearly an indication that the holder of the license has not been either cleared in the course of verification that is usually the process in the case or has swindled the Government of the amount of fee that is to be paid for obtaining a license. In either case, he or she is a culprit and has to be handed over to the law and order agencies for investigation and proper disposal of the case.
Doda is a militancy infested region. Although militancy has been contained to a large extent yet it has not been uprooted lock, stock and barrel. Militants and jihadis have space in the region to hide in higher reaches or to disappear in hinterlands that connect Kishtwar with Kashmir valley. The people in the area are mostly poor and eke out a difficult living. As such procurement of illegal arms and their distribution among this segment of society could prove very dangerous and detrimental to law and order of the entire region. The police need to conduct very serious investigation and go deep into the layers of conspiracy. It is a racket that should be busted at all costs. Incidentally the arrest of a criminal in Jammu along with an Ordinance Factory revolver procured on the basis of a fake gun license obtained in 2003 and subsequently got renewed several times is already in the hands of the police. This shows that faking gun licenses has been a practice going on in the State for a long time and no notice has been taken by the Government. Now that the case has come to light, the chapter is opened for investigation which must be thorough and foolproof.
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