Synopsis
The Manipur government has initiated a verification process for arms licenses, instructing district administrations to evaluate documentation of arms license holders and dealers to ensure compliance and safety.Key Takeaways
- Verification of licensed arms initiated by Manipur government.
- All district administrations involved in the process.
- Deadline for submission of documents is April 25.
- Non-compliance can lead to penalties and cancellations.
- Efforts to reclaim looted firearms ongoing since May 31, 2023.
Imphal, April 19 (NationPress) The government of Manipur has commenced a verification initiative aimed at assessing the legitimacy of licensed firearms. Officials announced on Saturday that all district administrations are required to scrutinize the documentation of arms license holders and arms dealers.
A senior official stated that the Commissioner (Home) issued an urgent circular instructing the Deputy Commissioners of all 16 districts to undertake verification steps concerning the documentation of arms license holders and dealers within their jurisdictions.
In accordance with this directive, all Deputy Commissioners have mandated arms license holders and dealers to present their documentation at their nearest police stations by April 25.
Failure to comply with these orders could result in penalties and potential cancellation of arms licenses, as indicated in the Commissioner (Home)’s circular. As of March 6, approximately 1,000 looted and unlawfully held weapons, including numerous sophisticated arms and a significant quantity of ammunition, have been returned to security forces since Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla first made an appeal on February 20.
This effort to reclaim looted and illegally held arms was launched on May 31, 2023, following an appeal from former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh for individuals to surrender firearms taken from security forces and police armories.
According to officials, prior to Singh’s resignation on February 9, a total of 3,422 firearms had been voluntarily returned to authorities and police stations across various districts.
Reports from various officials and political parties indicate that during the ethnic riots that erupted in Manipur on May 3, 2023, over 6,020 types of sophisticated arms and hundreds of thousands of various ammunition rounds were looted from police stations and outposts by mobs, attackers, and militants.
