Ranchi, March 13: Flooded with applications seeking arms licences and tighter security after the brutal murder of JMM MP Sunil Mahto, the district administration officials are in double trouble.

If politicians with criminal antecedents are provided with licence, the district officials might have to face court wrath. Acting otherwise, they would become foes of mighty politicians.

The West Singhbhum district administration is in a bind over the application of Chakradharpur MLA Sukhram Oraon and his wife Naumi Oraon. Both have sought three licences for a rifle, double barrel gun and a revolver.

According to sources, the problem for the deputy commissioner of the district is that the legislator, who wrote the secondary school examination papers recently, does not have a clean antecedent. The DSP, in his report, has stated that the MLA is facing 26 cases, including violation of arms act, too.

The deputy commissioner is said to have referred the case for a revolver licence to the commissioner, while he has sought guidelines of the state government in the other two cases.

The deputy commissioners do not want to take any risk after the Patna High Court’s order to take action against the Saharsa district magistrate for issuing arms licence to Anand Mohan even as he was involved in 13 cases.

Sources said the legislators and ministers are mounting pressure on the authorities for more licences even as the district security committee at Chaibasa heightened the security cover for the legisla tor and Congress MP Bagun Sumburai soon after the MP’s murder.

The East Singhbum district administration is facing similar problems, too.

“Even former MLAs have resurfaced saying their life is in threat,” said a senior district official.

He revealed that former district BJP leader Abhay Singh had got four arms licences during the NDA rule in 2001-02, even as he was charge-sheeted in eight cases. The district officials said he often brandishes these licensed arms to threaten public.

According to the rules, a person having no criminal antecedent can be given an arms licence. Since there is no provision in the law that a person getting a licence should be deft in handling the arms, several politicians are applying for the licence in the name of their wives, sons and daughters, too.

Revenue minister Dulal Bhuiyan has sought licences in the name of his wife and daughter.

He has reminded the deputy commissioner several times regarding the licence since the MP’s killing, sources said. Champai Soren, another JMM MLA, said he earlier had a rifle. And now he has a licence for a revolver also.

Significantly, the VIPs, including politicians and bureaucrats, are already “over protected”.

The success of Maoists in killing the MP was largely attributed to the casual approach of Mahto towards the basics of security arrangement. The Chaibasa administration has issued a comprehensive guideline to be followed by politicians before venturing into the “liberated zone”.

The JMM, too, has issued a dos’ and don’ts to be followed by the party ministers, MPs and MLAs for holding a meeting in remote places.

Even as former RJD MLA Yogendra Baitha said he was not buying revolver despite having a arms licence to avoid Maoists, home secretary Sudhir Tripathy conceded that the demand for arms licence from politicians is on the rise.

There are demands to increase the security cover, too, he added.