Getting gun licenses to be tougher in Gurgaon

GURGAON: Shaken by last week’s school shooting involving 14-year-olds, the district authorities have decided to make the rules for procuring arms licenses tougher with its annual numbers increasing three-fold since 2000.

“From now onwards, firearm licenses will be issued to limited persons who need the weapons dearly. Property dealers and particularly the youth would be avoided,” District Magistrate Rakesh Gupta said. He said the DM cleared issuance of licenses after the police verification report and rules would be more stringent, with only those carrying heavy cash due to professional compulsions or those facing a threat perception would be allowed to carry guns.

Gupta said the administration would be seeking permission from the Haryana government for introducing stricter gun laws, since the number of licenses issued had swelled from a mere 100 in 2000 to over 280 this year. He said the figure was 265 in 2006 and just 150 a year before that in 2005. “A lot of persons carry weapons to enhance their social status and to show-off,” he said adding that some of them came with recommendations from politicians and senior bureaucrats for getting licenses.

The decision comes in the wake of the December 11 incident in Euro International School when two class VIII students shot dead their classmate over a three-month-old grudge.

PTI