Visakhapatnam may see more firearms

Nearly 30 to 50 persons apply for weapons licenses in a year in Vizag alone, citing property disputes and threat to lives, but cops mostly reject those applications.

Vizag, known to be a peaceful city, is fast changing after state division. Real-estate businessmen and few others, including criminal-minded persons, are applying for arms licenses citing threat to their lives.

Although majority of those get rejected, it is nonetheless an indicator of the crime scenario in the city. Around 300 applied for arms licenses in the past five years since 2010 but only 50 got one. City police say that 675 persons, including businessmen, political leaders, naval officers and few others, possess licensed personal weapons and some even possess more than one weapon.

72 security personnel and 6 sportspersons also possess licensed firearms and a total of 968 licensed firearms, including SBBL, DBBL, pistols, rifles and revolvers are enrolled in the city.

Sources in police said the government has made public the draft rules for obtaining firearms, as per which the number of requisite documents for applying for weapons’ license will be reduced to less than 10 from over 20.

Besides, police verification has to be completed in maximum 90 days, depending on the weapons. The government has also planned to generate a Unique Identification Number (UIN) and consolidation of license while granting license or renewal of the weapons and the data will be recorded online.

Commissioner of police Amit Garg informed that land mafia cases and major property disputes are being reported from various parts of Vizag, particularly the city’s outskirts after the city gained prominence post-bifurcation.