Sharp rise in gun licences issued in city

MUMBAI: The number of gun licences granted by the Mumbai police more than doubled from 2006 to 2007. In 2006, the police issued 172 licences, and in the following year, the number shot up to 416. The jump was despite the fact that there was no significant increase in the number of applications for arms licences.

The city police rejected almost two-thirds of the applications for arms licences in the five years from 2003 to 2007. During this period, 3,712 applications were received, but only 1,393 were approved. Most were rejected because they did not cite adequate reasons to justify the need for a weapon.

Of the 1,393 licences granted, 546 were for pistols and 847 for rifles, said businessman and activist Chetan Kothari, who got the information through the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

Renewal of a licence for a year costs Rs 50 for a pistol and Rs 20 for a rifle.

Kothari in his RTI application had requested that the police department furnish details of how many politicians, filmstars, businessmen and builders had got arms licences in the last one year. The department mentioned that 20 builders and 12 businessmen were granted licences last year. However in its break-up on the total number of licences granted in 2007, the police refused to specify how many filmstars and politicians held the right to own a pistol or a rifle.

In its reply to Kothari’s RTI application, the Mumbai police also said they had revoked 24 arms licences in 2007, of which 18 were cancelled because the department had received criminal complaints against the licencee. Kothari has now sought the names of these people under the RTI.

The rejection of an arms licence application can be legally challenged. The court may order the police to issue the licence if it finds the reason for rejecting the plea arbitrary. There have been high court judgements which held that minor offences pending against an arms licence applicant were not enough to reject his or her plea, if there was no other reason.