Police seized 10 country-made pistols and 24 live rounds after a Vijayapura murder case exposed an illegal firearms network
The seized weapons. (By Arrangement)
Vijayapura: A murder case in Vijayapura has led to a crackdown on illegal firearms, with police seizing 10 country-made pistols and 24 live rounds from several accused across different locations in the district.
The case stemmed from a dispute where Ramesh Gemu Lamani had refused to marry off his daughter to Satish Premsing Rathod, a resident of the same village. Following this, the girl allegedly died by suicide by jumping into a well. Angered over her death, on January 28, 2025, Ramesh Lamani and his associates allegedly shot and stabbed Satish Rathod, leading to his death. A case was registered at Vijayapura Rural Police Station, and six accused were arrested and presented before the court.
Superintendent of Police Laxman P Nimbargi told reporters that during the investigation, police found that the fifth accused, Sagar alias Suresh Rathod, had supplied an illegal pistol to Ramesh Lamani for the murder. He was arrested on February 13, 2025. Further questioning revealed that he had been supplying illegal firearms to several people in Vijayapura district.
Police launched raids across multiple locations based on the information gathered during the investigation, leading to the recovery of 10 country-made pistols and 24 live rounds. The seizures were made from individuals across different police station jurisdictions.
In Vijayapura Rural Police Station limits, Prakash Marki Rathod was found with a pistol and three live rounds, Ashok Paramu Pandre had a pistol and two rounds, while Janardhan Vasant Pawar was found in possession of one pistol. In Jalanagar police limits, Sukhadev alias Sukhi Narsu Rathod was caught with a pistol and five rounds, whereas in Sindagi, Prakash Bhimsingh Rathod was found with one pistol and one round.
In Basavana Bagewadi limits, police recovered a pistol and four rounds from Ganesh Shivaram Shetti, while in Adarsh Nagar, Channappa Mallappa Naganur was caught with one pistol and four rounds. Similarly, in Tikota limits, Santosh Kishan Rathod was found in possession of a pistol and four rounds. The police also seized a pistol and one round from Sujit Subhas Rathod of Sangli, Maharashtra.
A pistol has already been confiscated from Sagar alias Suresh Rathod in Vijayapura Rural Police Station limits.
The operation was guided by Vijayapura Superintendent of Police Laxman Nimbargi, with Additional SPs Shankar Marihal and Ramanagouda Hatti supervising the teams. The probe was led by DSPs Girimal Talakatti, Basavaraj Yaligar, Jagadish HS, and Ballappa Nandgavi, along with police inspectors and officers from various stations.
Laxman Nimbargi lauded the efforts of the investigating officers and stated that further inquiries are underway to track the origin of the firearms and identify other individuals involved in the illegal weapons trade.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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