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Regular-article-logo Monday, 25 August 2025

PROHIBITED PISTOLS ISSUED LICENCES 

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Staff Reporter Published 18.04.02, 12:00 AM
Calcutta, April 18 :    Calcutta, April 18:  The city police detected anomalies in issuing arms licences after officers found that several people have managed to obtain licences for 'prohibited pistols'. During an unscheduled raid, senior officers detected that at least three dozen people possess .38-bore pistols. Sources said though the police and paramilitary forces use these pistols and revolvers, the Centre had issued directives that licences for .38 pistols and revolvers should not be issued to civilians. 'Yet, several people have managed to obtain .32 or .38-bore revolvers without proper licences,' they added. Additional commissioner of police Kiriti Sengupta has reportedly ordered a review and directed the Arms Act department of the city police to track down people who possess the prohibited revolvers and pistols. 'We have been asked to investigate how people managed to get hold of prohibited pistols and where they got their licences from,'' a senior police officer admitted. According to the police, people are generally issued licences for .32-bore pistols and revolvers, 12-bore guns and .22-bore sports rifles. The .38-bore pistols and revolvers have an effective range of 50 feet and can kill people. The .32-bore revolver has an effective range of 40 feet. Rifle clubs use the .22 bore rifles. 'To get an arms licence is an extremely tedious process,' said an officer. Explaining the procedure, he said an applicant has to fill up the form, in which there is a separate column to justify the intention to possess arms. 'The application is then forwarded to the local police station. The officer-in-charge is supposed to investigate whether the applicant actually requires a revolver or a pistol. The Special Branch and detective department of city police scan the applicant before a licence is issued,' the officer added. 'The .32-bore revolvers are popular. After the government clamped down on the import of .32-bore revolvers and pistols, there has been a rush to get these from the ordnance factories,'' Sengupta said. But what has surprised authorities is the fact that despite strict checks and stringent measures, civilians have got hold of .38-bore pistols. 'We have been tipped off about a few people who are in illegal possession of weapons without licences. It is only a matter of time before we arrest them,' an officer said.    
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