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Firearm violence, gun control and small arms
Growing Number of Indian Women Turning to Firearms for Protection
21 May 2012
Guardian (UK)
When Dr Harveen Kaur Sidhu travels from her home in an upmarket neighbourhood of the north-western Indian city of Chandigarh, she always slips her lightweight .22 revolver in her bag. The gun is a new purchase – Sidhu got her licence only a year ago – but now the 33-year-old dentist won't travel without it.
"I don't have faith in the police to protect me. There are so many attacks on women these days. It's everybody's right to defend themselves. I think all women... (GunPolicy.org)
Hong Kong,Italy,Germany,Israel,Austria,Bulgaria,Russia,India
Over 29,000 Russian AK-47s Imported by Indian Paramilitary Forces
20 May 2012
Times of India
NEW DELHI - AK-47s continue to be the preferred assault weapon for the country's paramilitary forces deployed to neutralise terrorists and Maoists at the frontiers and in the hinterland.
Over 29,000 pieces of this Russian-origin rifle were imported by forces like CRPF, BSF and NSG over the last three years, leaving behind, by a large margin, other sophisticated assault weapons procured from the US and Israel.
The inventory of the assault weapons procured for security... (GunPolicy.org)
Fake Gun Licence Racket Busted, 15 Security Guards Arrested in India
13 May 2012
Times of India
BHARUCH: At least 15 security guards of various private agencies were arrested for running a fake gun licence racket in Bharuch. Police also seized 17 illegal fire arms and 110 cartridges from the security guards working at ATM centres of various banks.
Due to central intelligence agencies' inputs regarding possible terror attacks, Bharuch police officials from C-division police station were carrying out routine checking at Golden Bridge on Narmada.
While checking two... (GunPolicy.org)
Indian Military Officers Found Guilty of Illegal Gun Sales
8 May 2012
Times of India
JAISALMER: An Army court of inquiry has found 74 officers and one JCO guilty in the illegal sale of arms case in Sriganganagar between 2002 and 2004.
So far, the Army has taken disciplinary action against 33 officers. Similar punitive action has been initiated against the remaining officers, said defence spokesman Col SD Goswami.
Besides, the Standard Operating Procedure on disposal of non-service pattern weapons has been revised to avoid recurrence of such incidents,... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Vow to Strip Celebratory Shooters of Licence in Uttar Pradesh, India
25 April 2012
Indian Express
After several incidents of celebratory firings during victory processions of SP leaders and weddings, DGP AC Sharma has issued a circular to book gun licence holders involved in such incidents. The circular also said their licences will be cancelled within a month of the occurrence of such incidents.
The DGP has said that local police station officers will be accountable for such incidents taking place in their areas. The district police chiefs will ensure penal action... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Armourer Accused of Siphoning Ammo to Indian Militants for 7 Years
23 April 2012
Times of India
DIMAPUR - In a development that will shock the Nagaland police department, a recent raid conducted by 29 Assam Rifles and Dimapur Police has exposed a possible nexus between a police constable and militants. Identified as Enyimi Chakhesang, the constable has allegedly been supplying ammunition from the Police Centre Store, Chumukedima to members of NSCN (IM)
Security forces had information that the militants were stocking ammunition at the Sukhovi area and they raided... (GunPolicy.org)
Indian Dip in Gun Licence Applications Due to Improved Law and Order?
18 April 2012
Telegraph (India)
Firearms are losing their spark in Patna or so it seems from the decline in the number of people seeking arms licences over the past five years.
Till a few years ago, public display of firearms was common on the roads of the state capital. This trend, however, has taken a beating since 2007 (see chart).
A source in the arms magistrate office said: "From 1990 to 2005, the annual number of applications for arms licences was almost 2,000 on an average but after 2006, the... (GunPolicy.org)
Licensed Gun Dealers Faking Gun Licences 'Security Threat' to India
12 April 2012
Nagaland Post (India)
GUWAHATI - Several armed private security guards and criminals of Assam possess firearms bought using fraudulent arms licences procured from Kangpokpi in Manipur and Dimapur in Nagaland.
Sources in the criminal investigation department (CID) of police, which is investigating the matter, said the arms and ammunition procured by using these licences, many of which were fake, had become a threat to public safety and a major concern for security forces.
"If anybody... (GunPolicy.org)
Lawyer Kills Police Officer in India - Handgun Licence Obtained in Jail
31 March 2012
Indian Express
A probe has been ordered into how lawyer Saurabh Verma, who shot dead sub-inspector (S-I) Devendra Kumar and injured a constable with his licenced revolver inside Naubasta police outpost on Thursday night, had procured firearms licence.
Verma has several criminal cases pending against him and is learnt to have procured the arms licence while he was in jail in 2004.
Kanpur SP (City) Umesh Kumar Singh told The Indian Express that the lawyer has been jailed thrice in... (GunPolicy.org)
Asia,Laos,Thailand,China,India
Indian Militants Buy $Millions of Guns from China via Thai Broker - Claim
18 March 2012
Telegraph (India)
NEW DELHI - Northeast outfits are employing crafty financial methods to procure arms worth millions of dollars and make them look like legitimate legal buys.
A series of arrests by the National Investigation Agency of militants from various outfits has revealed formulae that take the best financial brains to come up with.
A number of such devices tumbled out of the militants' closets after the NIA arrested NSCN (I-M) leader Anthony Shimray and over 20 United National... (GunPolicy.org)
Timor-Leste,Thailand,Sri Lanka,Myanmar,Indonesia,South Asia,South East Asia,Israel,Iran,Cuba,United States,Japan,China,Brunei,Philippines,Pakistan,India,Asia
UN Urges Asian Nations to Help Curb Global Trade in Illegal Guns
6 March 2012
Jakarta Post
The United Nations is urging all nations in the Asia region to implement concrete solutions to stop illegal trading in small arms and light weapons.
"Over the past decades, trade has made this region grow so phenomenally. If you are a region where international trade is what makes you tick, you better also make sure that you are seen as doing trade in the right way," UN disarmament affairs official Daniel Prins told reporters on the sidelines of opening the Asian... (GunPolicy.org)
Algeria,India,Iran,North Korea,China,Syria,Russia
Russia Faces a Growing International Outcry over Its Arms Sales to Syria
21 February 2012
Reuters
MOSCOW/BEIRUT - Russia faces a growing international outcry over its arms sales to Syria but shows no sign of bowing to pressure and has even increased deliveries of arms that critics say are helping keep President Bashar al-Assad in power.
The biggest importer of arms to Syria, Russia sold Damascus nearly $1 billion worth of arms including missile systems last year, while shipments of hard-to-track Russian small weapons have risen since the uprising against Assad... (GunPolicy.org)
South America,North America,Canada,India,Africa,Asia,United States
Guns More Common in America Than in Much of Asia, Africa - LA Times
21 February 2012
Los Angeles Times
Guns are the new bling in India, as Mark Magnier reports for The Times. Rising income, rising crime and memories of terrorism have made Indians more eager to pack a pistol:
Government worker Deep Sidhu sits in his living room feeling the weight of the family's Luger, a German World War II-era pistol, in his hands. Guns are in the blood, he says beneath a painting of a man toting a shotgun.
"This forgiveness-peace idea will only make Pakistanis think we're soft... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Culture Spreads in India: 40 Million Guns Second Only to USA
20 February 2012
Los Angeles Times
CHANDIGARH, India — Vikramjit Singh stands in the parking lot of a posh club in Chandigarh discussing one of his favorite subjects: guns. He owns 10 or so; he can't remember exactly. They may come in handy if the old family feud resurfaces.
In a Hatfield-versus-McCoy saga that haunts the 25-year-old student, his grandfather was shot to death here in the western state of Punjab and his father imprisoned for a retaliatory murder. Although the two clans signed a truce a... (GunPolicy.org)
400,000 Illegal Guns in Bangladesh, Many from India, Claims NGO
19 February 2012
Financial Express (Bangladesh)
Country's law and order situation might become unstable as cadres of different political groups were learnt to have been buying smuggled small firearms, reports UNB.
Intelligence sources told the news agency Saturday that increasing use of small firearms in different criminal activities, including murder, robbery and extortion, have increased the smuggling of firearms from across the border.
They said syndicates from two sides of the border control such smuggling of... (GunPolicy.org)
India Separatists Lay Down Hundreds of Automatic Rifles and other Weapons
24 January 2012
Reuters
GUWAHATI - Hundreds of separatists in India's northeast handed over automatic rifles and other weapons to the home minister and senior paramilitary and army officers on Tuesday, signalling the government remains open to peace talks in the region.
More than a dozen insurgent groups have been fighting the government for decades in Assam and neighbouring states of northeast India, killing thousands in attacks on civilians troops and paramilitary.
The groups blame the... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Seize 35 Firearms, Bust Fake Gun Licence Racket in South India
10 January 2012
Deccan Chronicle (India)
HYDERABAD - The city Task Force sleuths busted a fake gun licence racket and seized 35 illegal fire arms from security guards working in various agencies. About 11 security guards and the owner of Protection Management Services were arrested on charges of forging gun licenses and using them to procure weapons.
The police commissioner, Mr A.K. Khan, said, "Security agencies are aware of what they are doing. We checked their licences with the issuing authorities and... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Tantra in Etah, India: Anyone Worth His Salt Keeps Firearms
6 January 2012
Hindustan Times (Delhi)
From being the birthplace of 12th century poet Amir Khusro to a district where the high crime rate makes virtually anyone worth his salt keep firearms, the descent of Etah into disrepute makes it a symbol of much that's wrong with UP's wild west. Its residents know this ground reality all too well.
That is why the question - what is Etah famous for? - gets seven out of 10 people here to reply 'crime', albeit after a little prodding.
One does not have to go far to see... (GunPolicy.org)
Like Pizza, Home Delivery of Illegal Guns 'Just a Phone Call' Away in Indian City
24 December 2011
Times of India
After pizza and grocery deliveries, it is now time for home delivery of weapons. Anyone who is interested in buying illegal weapons - be it a country-made pistol, rifle or shotgun - can get them with just a phone call.
In Jharkhand, the process is easy. Get in touch with the firearm manufacturer, usually based in Bihar, or one of their representatives in Jharkhand. They provide an account number in which the money can be deposited. Once the amount is deposited, the... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Possession a Status Symbol in India, Firearms a Common Dowry Item
22 December 2011
Star Online ((Malaysia)
Possessing firearms is a status symbol in India's northern rural belt and it isn't unusual to find guns as part of a bride's dowry.
For a country that witnesses a whopping 10 million marriages a year, India boasts a cachet of interesting nuptial traditions as well.
While the big cities are synonymous with the Big Fat Indian Wedding – occasions which showcase opulence, financial clout and the social pecking order of well-to-do families – swathes of the northern... (GunPolicy.org)
Police 'Bury Gun Culture,' Seizing Fake Licences from Hyderabad Criminals
14 December 2011
Times of India
Senior police officers say they are only acting on directives issued by higher authorities and are thus busy plugging loopholes to make laws pertaining to possession of firearms watertight. "We have no problems with players possessing firearms. But there have been many instances when nefarious individuals have posed as shooters to obtain licenses and it is only natural that the rules are being tightened to stop this racket," says city police commissioner AK Khan, who is... (GunPolicy.org)
Spurt in Use of Illegal Guns Reported in Vizag, Andhra Pradesh, India
12 December 2011
Times of India
VISAKHAPATNAM - Illegal weapons are finding their way into the city. The firing incident that took place at railway station on Friday evening raised serious questions about the use of guns by criminal gangs. Police sources blamed criminals from other states for the use of illegal fire arms. A person, believed to be a CISF constable was arrested by police on Saturday, in related to Friday's firing incident. They suspect that he and his colleagues were involved in three... (GunPolicy.org)
Bangladesh,Myanmar,South East Asia,China,India
Indian Insurgents Procuring, Smuggling Arms from China, Southeast Asia
9 December 2011
Times of India
NEW DELHI - Insurgent groups in the northeast are procuring arms in China and some other South East Asian countries before smuggling them into India through Myanmar and Bangladesh, the government has said.
"There are reports that insurgent outfits operating in the northeastern states of India have been procuring arms through smugglers based in the Yunnan province of China, Myanmar and South East Asian countries," minister of state for home Mullappally Ramachandran said... (GunPolicy.org)
Russia,Mozambique,Nigeria,India,Australia,East Africa,Eastern Europe,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
Global: Unplanned Explosions at Munitions Dumps Increasing - IRIN / SAS
5 December 2011
IRIN (UN News)
JOHANNESBURG - The rate of accidents at munitions storage sites has risen to unprecedented levels in 2011, despite a growing international commitment to assist countries in managing their weapons and ammunition stockpiles.
"During the first ten months of 2011, the average number of explosions has increased to more than three per month - the highest rate recorded in a calendar year," said the Small Arms Survey (SAS), a Geneva-based NGO monitoring small arms and armed... (GunPolicy.org)
Central Asia,United States,Afghanistan,India
US Gets India to Train 30,000 Afghan Soldiers, Give Them Assault Rifles
3 December 2011
National (Abu Dhabi)
NEW DELHI - India plans to fly 20,000 to 30,000 Afghan troops to training bases in India over the next three years and is expanding its presence in Afghanistan as US troops leave.
The US is reportedly eager for more countries to take on part of the US$12 billion (Dh44bn) training bill for the Afghan security forces, and is also running out of time, having set 2014 as the deadline for transferring combat duties to local troops.
With the Afghan government unwilling to... (GunPolicy.org)
Cambodia,Thailand,India,Myanmar,Bangladesh
Menace of Illicit Small Arms Industry, Trade, Violence in India - Opinion
28 November 2011
Express Buzz (India), Opinion
According to a recent study, India witnessed 4,100 gunshot murders in 2008. These murders would work out to 12.2 per cent of the over 33,700 murders reported during the year. Overall, there were over 6,200 deaths due to gunshots; about 66 per cent of them were murders, 26.3 per cent were accidental deaths and 7.7 per cent were suicides. It was also reported that most of the victims of firearm murders in India were killed using unlicensed firearms.
Studies conducted... (GunPolicy.org)
India Police Unearth Illegal Factory of Country-Made Guns
21 November 2011
Times of India
HAZARIBAG - Barhi Police arrested a former activist of the Jharkhand Prasstuti Committee (JPC), who had opened an illegal factory to manufacture country-made revolvers and firearms, from his hideout at Kariyatpur on Monday.
Sagarjee alias Samunder Bhuiyan had started manufacturing arms to collect money from various development schemes in the district, said SP Pankaj Kamboj.
Bhuiyan, who originally belonged to Bendi village in Katkumsandi of Hazaribag, was an activist... (GunPolicy.org)
Bihar, India Police to Melt 60,000 Illegal Guns, Convert to Farm Tools
18 November 2011
New Delhi Television (India)
MUZAFFARPUR - Blacksmith Sunil Thakur had never felt as important in his life as he did on Nov. 4, when the district police chief, an executive magistrate and a posse of junior officials visited his makeshift roadside furnace.
They handed him six country-made pistols, known as kattas, and asked him to transform them into farm and gardening tools. As a crowd assembled, the blacksmith heated the guns, and then hammered the red-hot metal for nearly an hour, shaping them... (GunPolicy.org)
Germany,China,United States,India
Increasing Availability and Seizures of Illicit Guns in Pune, India
17 November 2011
Express India
PUNE - Failure in identifying and cracking down on criminals involved in manufacturing and selling of illegal firearms is the major reason behind unchecked illegal trade of firearms in the city, police said. And investigation of some of the cases revealed that the quality of illegal firearms has improved, availability has increased while cost has gone down, police said.
According to the figures obtained by The Indian Express under the Right to Information Act (RTI)... (GunPolicy.org)
In Dholpur, Indian Families Regard a Licensed Gun as Essential Dowry
15 November 2011
Times of India
JAIPUR, ALWAR - Those living in the ravines of Dholpur love two things the most - their moustaches and arms. Grown up amidst the fear of bandits, people residing in this region say that keeping various arms at home was a 'compulsion' earlier but gradually it has become a 'status symbol' for them. Moving ahead, some of them have no hesitation in gifting arms varying from rifles to pistols to their would be sons-in-law. And that too with a valid licence.
Though the... (GunPolicy.org)
From Arms to Farms - Indian State Plans to Melt Guns Into Garden Tools
9 November 2011
BBC News
PATNA, Bihar - Police in the northern Indian state of Bihar have come up with an original way to deal with the surfeit of seized illegal firearms that are stored in police station storehouses, or malkhanas.
They have decided to melt the weapons down into farming and gardening tools.
"The weapons stashed in police station malkhanas are of no use once the legal process of the case is over. They stink like dead bodies," says Abhyanand, the Bihar police chief who has... (GunPolicy.org)
India,Afghanistan,Iraq,Sierra Leone,South Africa,Saudi Arabia,United States,United Kingdom,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
'The Shadow World', an Incisive Exposé of the ArmsTrade - Book Review
1 November 2011
Telegraph (UK), Book review
If there is one book unlikely to appear on the Christmas reading lists of the former defence secretary Liam Fox and his self-professed adviser Adam Werritty, one suspects that this is it. The sorry case of Dr Fox and the mystery chum-cum-lobbyist amplifies what critics of the defence procurement industry – Feinstein prefers the racier "global arms trade" – have long argued. To put it mildly, and in a nutshell, it is not known for its transparency. Nor, for that... (GunPolicy.org)
India,Spain,United Kingdom,Italy,Germany,France,Czech Republic,Bulgaria,Belgium,Austria,Yemen,Syria,Libya,Egypt,Bahrain,West Asia,North Africa,Europe,Russia,United States
Major Arms Exporters Accused of Mideast Gun Sales Before Human Rights
24 October 2011
al Jazeera
According to an Amnesty International report, the US, Russia and a number of European countries supplied large quantities of weapons to repressive governments in the Middle East and North Africa before this year's uprisings.
The report says that these arms deals were signed despite evidence of a substantial risk that they could be used to commit serious human rights violations.
The human rights group reports that in the five years preceding the Arab spring $2.4bn... (GunPolicy.org)
After Accidental Handgun Shooting, India Police Need Training on Gun Use
6 October 2011
Daily News & Analysis (India)
The accidental firing from the service pistol of a traffic constable at the police commissionerate has brought to the fore the rather "amateurish" manner in which a section of the police force handles firearms.
On Tuesday afternoon, constable Vijay Bhusare (27) attached to the Pune police traffic branch was injured when a bullet hit him when his colleague, Amol Sarde, was displaying his pistol and explaining its functioning.
"Sarde initially loaded the pistol with... (GunPolicy.org)
India,Russia,Germany,United States
India's Unlicensed Gun Market Thrives on Smuggled, Home Made Firearms
5 October 2011
First Post (Mumbai)
A 10-year-old boy was accidentally shot dead by his 12-year-old neighbour while they were playing cop and thief in West Delhi earlier this week. On 24 September, 23-year-old toll attendant, Umeshkant Pandey, was shot dead by the driver of a white Bolero. His crime: he asked the driver to pay Rs 27 as toll tax.
Gun crime has consistently been on the rise in India, and every few weeks, there is a new tragedy. An armed gang shoots a woman over a small piece of jewellery,... (GunPolicy.org)
Illegal Mining, Gun Ownership Hit Simultaneous High in Indian Province
26 September 2011
Indian Express
BANGALORE - In the iron ore mining district of Bellary, guns have grown alongside illegal mining. The district authorities issued the maximum number of gun licences in the year that illegal mining hit an all-time high.
A number of the licences were to members of what has now been described as an organised illegal mining syndicate from Bellary with its pivotal figure being former district-in-charge minister G Janardhan Reddy, arrested by the CBI as part of... (GunPolicy.org)
Shootings Highlight Disturbing Trend: Easy Availability of Guns in India
25 September 2011
India Today, Editorial
The wanton murder of Umeshkant Pandey, an attendant at the Gurgaon toll plaza, on Thursday has once again highlighted the rising gun culture in the national capital. Pandey, 22, was shot by a man for merely asking for the Rs 27 toll fee.
His killing is akin to that of Delhi University student Radhika Tanwar - who was shot dead in March this year by a man who claimed to have been a jilted lover, but was probably a mere stalker.
These cases highlight certain disturbing... (GunPolicy.org)
85% of India's 40 Million Private Guns are Illegal - Small Arms Survey
21 September 2011
Indian Express
NEW DELHI - India has seen a drastic reduction in deaths due to firearms crimes but Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh remain the most dangerous states and account for more than 60 per cent of all deaths recorded that were related to small arms, a new survey has suggested.
A report by the Small Arms Survey, a research group based out of Geneva, has recorded crime statistics in India over a 10-year period from 1999 and says that the number of suicides, murders and... (GunPolicy.org)
Easy Availability of Illegal Guns in India, Guns Behind 12% of Murders
21 September 2011
Tribune (India)
NEW DELHI - The easy availability of illegal firearms made Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand witness to two-thirds of all murders committed using firearms in 2008, the latest year for which the related data is available.
India, as a whole, witnessed 4,101 gunshot murders during the period. These accounted for 12.2 per cent of the 33,727 murders reported during the year. Overall, the country lost 6,219 persons to gunshots - 66 pc of them were murdered, 26.3 pc killed... (GunPolicy.org)
Nepal: Impact of Small Arms on Gender
20 September 2011
Telegraph (Nepal), Opinion
1. Facts:
Small arms:
Small Arms mean the weapons that a single and individual can carry and operate. For example revolvers, self loading pistols, rifles, carbines, assault rifles, sub machineguns, light machineguns and associated ammunitions.[1]
Light weapons means that can be operate two or three people. They may include heavy machine gun, hand–held under barrel and mounted grenade launcher, portable anti-aircraft and missile launcher, explosives, anti personal... (GunPolicy.org)
India: Cartridge Shortage in Open Market for Handgun Licence Holders
20 September 2011
Times of India
VARANASI - For arms licence holders, their revolvers and pistols are proving to be mere show pieces as there is a crisis of cartridges in the open market.
The craze for small firearms like revolvers and pistols has increased in a decade or two. According to the arms section of district magistrate office, there are 14,851 arms licence holders in the district while around 3,300 people are in queue for fresh arms licences. Among the total arms licence holders, about 30%... (GunPolicy.org)
Small Arms Trafficking on Nepal-India Border Poses Security Threat
15 September 2011
Himalayan Times (Kathmandu)
DHANGADHI - Illegal transaction in small weapons has been on the rise on the Nepal-India border in the far west region for some time.
Police seized four small weapons in a month. A police patrol seized two American made automatic pistols and a revolver from Chaukidanda area Malakheti-3 on September 11.
According to police, the pistols were seized from six youths who were on two motorcycles, but they failed to nab the youths who fled. SP Bashanta Panta, District... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Launch Crackdown on Gun Smuggling from India to Nepal
12 September 2011
República (Kathmandu)
NEPALGUNJ - Banke police have launched a crackdown on smuggling of weapons into Nepal from India.
A day after seizing two revolvers and two home-made pistols, Banke police on Friday seized two more home-made pistols. Police have seized 12 weapons of various types in the last two months alone.
"As Dashain festival approaches, criminals are smuggling small arms from India to extort businessmen," said SP Dinesh Amatya of Banke police. "Therefore, we have launched a... (GunPolicy.org)
Indian Man Mortgages Land for Gun Licence, Extra Pay as Security Guard
3 September 2011
Hindustan Times (Delhi)
To get hired as a security guard, an arms licence is a necessary qualification. In fact, it is such a prized item that security guard Vishram Singh, 23, had mortgaged his ancestral land in Uttar Pradesh to get his hands on one before setting out for Delhi in 2008, his family said.
"Though our clients come from varied backgrounds, a very large number of them are those who want employment as security guards," said a senior police officer from the licensing branch of... (GunPolicy.org)
Pakistan,South Asia,China,United States,United Kingdom,Germany,France,India,Nepal
Global Gun Trade Treaty the Only Way to Control 'Arms Bazaar'
25 July 2011
República (Kathmandu), Opinion
In 2009, I recall visiting a militant camp in India's North East a day before they would surrender. The deputy commander who was in charge and allegedly responsible for the death of at least 200 people brandished his M16 assault rifle and flaunted his bodyguard who was following him with a rocket launcher. He was calm but shifty-eyed and admitted having a personal saving of a few billion INR in his account. Barely 24 hours after his formal surrender, he was in seen in... (GunPolicy.org)
14-yr Old Nepal Girl Arrested for Illegal Handgun Possession in India
22 July 2011
Deccan Herald (Kathmandu)
Ninth-grader Sadhana Limbu was expecting to return to her school in Nepal's tea garden district of Jhapa next week after spending a brief vacation with her family in Kathmandu.
Instead, the 14-year-old girl is now in police custody in the capital, facing interrogation and a tough ordeal that could include imprisonment.
She was caught by Nepal's airport authorities Thursday while trying to board a domestic flight from Kathmandu to Jhapa.
Among the books and clothes in... (GunPolicy.org)
Chennai: One of the Most Stringent Gun Licence Procedures in India
12 July 2011
Times of India
CHENNAI -- When it comes to issuing gun licences, you could say Tamil Nadu has the most stringent procedures compared to others in the country.
Applicants have to go through levels of scrutiny, right from the police stations to the government ordnance factories to the commissioner of police, proving every step of the way that they have no criminal or civil cases against them before they finally get their hands on a gun.
"There are inquiries at every level. Around... (GunPolicy.org)
Licensed Indian Gun Owner Shot, Killed 13yr-old Boy for Stealing Apples
11 July 2011
Indian Express
CHENNAI -- The mystery behind the shocking murder of a child who strayed into an Army residential compound was solved after a week of investigation, with the Crime Branch sleuths arresting a retired lieutenant colonel for shooting the boy dead.
Kandasamy Ramraj, a former assistant engineer in the Small Arms wing of the Electrical and Mechanical Department, has confessed to the crime, and the US-made rifle that was used for the murder was recovered from the bottom of... (GunPolicy.org)
Western Europe,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,United States,China,India,Guatemala
Private Security Guards Now Outnumber Police Worldwide - New Survey
6 July 2011
Sunday Times (UK) / AFP
GENEVA - Private security companies employ up to 25.5 million people across the world, exceeding the number of police officers, and hold up to 3.7 million firearms, a survey said Wednesday.
"The global trend towards downsizing government, including public security institutions, has contributed to the growth of the private security sector," said the Geneva Graduate Institute's small arms survey.
"In prisons, at airports, along borders and on the street, security... (GunPolicy.org)
United Kingdom,United States,Europe,India,China,Russia,Libya,France
France Air-dropped Guns to Libyan Civilians: In Breach of Arms Embargo?
30 June 2011
Le Point (France) / Reuters
[Translated summary: France acknowledged that it airlifted small arms to Libyan civilians fighting Moammar Gadhafi's forces in a besieged mountain region south of Tripoli. Critics say that this is against the UN arms embargo].
NEW YORK, PARIS - La France a défendu sa décision de parachuter des armes aux insurgés libyens, une opération à laquelle l'Otan n'a pas été associée et qui suscite jeudi une controverse, les Nations unies ayant imposé en février un... (GunPolicy.org)
Indian Businessman Arrested for Smuggling Gun Parts from United States
30 June 2011
Times of India
MUMBAI - The crime intelligence unit (CIU) arrested a wholesale supplier of health and protein drinks, Sanjay Chaudhry, from the Mumbai airport for smuggling spare gun parts from the US.
Sleuths screened his baggage and found several gun parts like springs, triggers, hammers and magazines.
The cops have also arrested one Shivananda Shetty, who bought gun parts from Chaudhry and sold them to dealers in the grey market.
Chaudhry came under the crime branch's scanner... (GunPolicy.org)
Madras High Court Rules Indian Citizens Have Right to Possess Firearms
29 June 2011
Daily News & Analysis (India)
The Madras high court bench here has ruled that citizens could possess weapons and revenue and police officials could not deny them arms licence by citing law and order problem.
Allowing a petition filed by an S Rajkapur, an agriculturist, who was denied a licence by the commissioner for revenue administration as well as Theni district revenue officer in 2004 and 2005 to possess a double barrel gun, Justice D Hariparandhaman said that unless the applicants' antecedents... (GunPolicy.org)
India: Gun Survivors Predict Manipur Could Soon Be Land of Widows
18 June 2011
Morung Express (India)
IMPHAL -- "Manipur will be called a land of widows if armed conflict is not stopped", said founder and secretary general of Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network (MWGSN) Binalaksmi Nepram at the fifth day of the week long Global Week of Action on Gun Violence Friday.
Over 20,000 people have been killed in the last five decades in Manipur due to arm related conflicts, she said and pointed out that according to official statistics, in 2008 alone more than 400 people have... (GunPolicy.org)
Germany,China,Nepal,Italy,India,United States
High Incidence of Small Arms Violence in Nepal: India Border, Armed Women
16 June 2011
MSN News / Indo-Asian News Service
KATHMANDU -- As over 70 countries in the world Thursday begin observing the Global Week of Action Against Gun Violence, peace activists rue that even five years after the end of an armed insurrection, Nepal is still wracked by gunfire, thanks to the 1,800-km open border with India.
'There have been 1,013 incidents of violence caused by small arms in the last 17 months,' says Subodh Pyakurel, chief of Informal Sector Service Center (Insec), Nepal's largest NGO that... (GunPolicy.org)
Uttar Pradesh Police Bust Gun Running Racket, Seize Illegal Pistols
3 June 2011
Times of India
Uttar Pradesh Police busted a gun-running racket with the arrest of the gang's main courier and mastermind, while he was on to Balia with a consignment of five automatic pistols with 10 magazines. Special director general, ATS, Brij Lal on Thursday said that the arrest came following some specific intelligence on the gang's kingpin and the main courier Jagannath, a resident of Bilriyaganj in Azamgarh. On the basis of the information, police intercepted Jagannath during... (GunPolicy.org)
Leaders of an Indian Political Party Seek Gun Licences
21 May 2011
Times of India
HYDERABAD - The near fatal attack on Akbaruddin Owaisi in Old City on April 30 this year has the leaders of the MIM nervous; they are now scurrying to procure licensed weapons for themselves.
At last count, at least 12 MIM corporators have applied for arms licences.
Till Owaisi was attacked, MIM's dominance of the political scene in Old City was clearly visible and its leaders used to confidently move around among the people. But things have changed drastically with... (GunPolicy.org)
Indian Police Arrest 7 of Their Own, Bust Gun Making, Arms Dealing Ring
3 May 2011
Indian Express
Punjab Police have busted an interstate gang of gun runners dealing in bootleg weapons made in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. The gang operated with the connivance of police personnel as, of the 15 persons arrested, seven are from the police force. Police claimed this gang was the main supplier of arms to Maoists and they were investigating its links with other terror groups.
Addressing a press conference here today, Director General of Police, Punjab, PS... (GunPolicy.org)
Firearm Licensing Racket in India: Police Questioning 695 Gun Owners
29 April 2011
Press Trust of India
Jammu and Kashmir Police today summoned 695 gun licence holders for questionings in connection with the fake licensing racket in the state.
"The 695 licences should appear before investigation officer at Bakshi Nagar Police Station along with the gun licence and to record their statements," a notification issued by the sub-divisional police officer, Bakshi Nagar, said.
It also said that they should deposit their guns in the police stations concerned within 15 days... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Gun for Shooters, Corruption, Revoke 278 Gun Licences in Mumbai
23 April 2011
Times of India
MUMBAI - Even Dirty Harry would have approved of the clean-up job. After years of showing generous leniency, the Mumbai police began gunning for errant arms owners in 2010, revoking as many as 278 gun licences for "misuse".
It was a significant change of heart for a police force that just the previous year found only four licensed gun holders violating the law. "We have tightened the screws after the 26/11 terror attacks," said a senior police official on the condition... (GunPolicy.org)
Witnesses No Longer Needed for Gun Licence, Passport in Punjab
22 April 2011
Times of India
CHANDIGARH - The Punjab government has decided to waive the requirement of two witnesses while applying for gun license, passport or government services and said self-attested forms will now be sufficient.
The decision was announced in a meeting of field officers presided by principal secretary of Punjab DS Bains and Punjab director general of police (DGP) P S Gill.
The decision was taken following the recommendation of Punjab Governance Reforms Commission (PGRC) and... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns Marked Italy, UK Illegally Made in Indian Workshops - Delhi Police
20 April 2011
Times of India
NEW DELHI - In the fifth major haul this year by Delhi Police - and the third by the crime branch - another gun-running racket with its base in UP and Bihar and market in Delhi has been unearthed.
"Unlike the other consignments, this gang used to deal only with sophisticated semi-automatic weapons. Though the pistols carry marks claiming that they have been manufactured in Italy and England, all the five revolvers recovered have been traced to Munger district of... (GunPolicy.org)
CEO of Large US Multinational Arrested in India for Carrying a Single Bullet
17 March 2011
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The chief executive of medical device maker St. Jude Medical Inc. was arrested Wednesday in New Delhi after airport police found a single ammunition shell in his clothes, the company said Thursday.
CEO Daniel Starks was preparing to board a private flight from Indira Gandhi International airport on company business.
The company said in a statement that the "shell was inadvertently left in an item of his clothing." Starks is no longer in police custody,... (GunPolicy.org)
5000 Indians Die Each Year Due to Unregulated Global Gun Trade
12 March 2011
Kangla Online / Imphal Free Press (Manipur)
NEW DELHI - Each year worldwide, 500,000 people are killed directly with conventional weapons and many more are injured, abused, forcibly displaced and bereaved as a result of armed violence. And 5000 Indians are killed every year due to unregulated arms trade.
The movement of arms across the world is a huge threat to human security. 1,135 companies in 98 countries manufacture arms, ammunitions and components worldwide. Yet the global trade that fuels the epidemic of... (GunPolicy.org)
Fake Firearm Licence Rackets, Illegal Guns Just 'Tip of the Iceberg' in India
7 March 2011
Times of India
KOLKATA - Procurement of firearms with fake licences has turned into a major headache for state police.
CID officers have recovered 205 guns from different areas of West Bengal in the past year and have reasons to believe that it is just the tip of the iceberg. There are hundreds of such arms in Bengal and procuring fake gun licences is now the safest route to getting hold of such arms and ammunition, said CID officers.
A year ago, CID officers raided a telephone... (GunPolicy.org)
5 Arrested for India-Nepal Gun Running: 'Arms Dealing Rife in Kathmandu'
3 March 2011
Himalayan Times (Kathmandu)
KATHMANDU - Trading in small arms has once again emerged as a threat to public security with police rounding up five arms traders in possession of six pistols, eight magazines and 12 rounds of bullets in the last few weeks.
Officials say this reflects the growing gun-culture in urban centres. There was a break in arms trading from December last year through January this year. Metropolitan Police Crime Division (MPCD) today nabbed Hira Mishra from Sitamadi of India with... (GunPolicy.org)
India Buys Another 20,000 AK-47s to Protect Luxury Trains, Repel Maoists
13 February 2011
Press Trust of India
NEW DELHI - Waking up to the threat of Maoists and terrorists, Railways is procuring 6,000 AK-47 rifles besides critical accessories like bullet-proof jackets and helmets for its security personnel to protect trains and stations.
"We are in the process of acquiring 6,000 fully automatic AK-47 assault rifles from Bulgaria. The payments has been made to Ministry of Home Affairs for the purchase," a senior Railway Ministry official told PTI.
The AK-47 assault rifles... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Violence Survivor Documentary Makes Waves at Indian Film Festival
12 January 2011
Kanglaonline (India)
Social Activist and Film Maker from Manipur State chosen for a national film festival "National Documentary and Short films on Gender" organized by International Centre of Excellence in Youth Development and School of Gender Studies, Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development, Sriperumbudur under the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Govt of India.
A documentary film, "The Story of Manipur Women Gun Survivors" produced by Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network and... (GunPolicy.org)
United Kingdom,Switzerland,Russia,Norway,Mexico,Japan,Italy,Germany,Austria,Czech Republic,India,China,Canada,Brazil,Australia,United States
How Gun Control Laws Vary in 16 Countries Around the World
10 January 2011
Guardian (UK)
Australia
Ownership is strictly prohibited unless there are "genuine reasons" such as licensed sport, animal control or employment requirements.
Brazil
If you are over 25 and have registered a weapon, you are free to keep it indoors. The country has the second-highest gun-related death rate after the US.
Canada
Significantly stricter than the neighbouring US. To acquire a licence, applicants must undertake a safety course, pass a criminal records check and be... (GunPolicy.org)
Relative 'Insulted' Delhi Gun Owner Firing in the Air, So He Shot, Killed Her
27 December 2010
Times of India
NEW DELHI - In another crime of passion, a commissioning agent has been arrested by southwest district police for allegedly killing his cousin's wife. He reportedly felt "insulted" as she scolded him for firing a firearm during a family function, and shot her point-blank at the temple, said police. The accused, identified as Anil Dagar, has been booked for murder as well as for carrying an illegal firearm.
Dagar allegedly shot his cousin, Sunil Dahiya's wife, Amita on... (GunPolicy.org)
Is India's Gun Violence Spiraling Out of Control? Blog Cites Global Post
21 December 2010
Time (USA) / Newsfeed, Blog
Police in India are reporting a disturbing rise in gun violence across the nation in recent years in tandem with the emergence of a gun-rights organization similar to the NRA, according to a new article from the Global Post.
Surprisingly, India is second only to the U.S. in civilian gun ownership, with approximately 40 million firearms, over 5 million of which are thought to be unlicensed. The difference in gun ownership per capita, however, is significant, with only... (GunPolicy.org)
India's New Gun Obsession 'Makes Charlton Heston Look Like Gandhi'
20 December 2010
Global Post (Boston)
NEW DELHI, India — Three years after two teenage boys allegedly gunned down his 14-year-old son, Abishek, over a playground spat, Gurgaon businessman Rajinder Tyagi is dry-eyed as he describes the boy's senseless murder. A veteran of hundreds of media interviews, he's made himself numb in an endeavor to shield his wife and daughter from the press.
"My son was walking down the stairs," recalls Tyagi, his face set with grim determination. "They shot him from the back.... (GunPolicy.org)
Plague of Illegal Guns, Armed Crime Linked to Political Patronage in India
20 December 2010
Global Post (Boston)
NEW DELHI, India — About a year after India's first school shooting, Soumya Viswanathan, a 26-year-old television journalist, was shot and killed on her way home from work. A pretty and vivacious girl with a broad, bright smile, she had stayed late at the station to help her colleagues finish editing a story. At 3 a.m., knowing that her parents worried about her, she called her father to tell him that she was on her way home. She never made it.
"She was not coming,"... (GunPolicy.org)
India's Own 'Charlton Heston' Gun Owners Push for US-style Gun Culture
20 December 2010
Global Post (Boston)
NEW DELHI, India — At a posh farmhouse outside Delhi, a group of gun enthusiasts gathered on a recent Sunday afternoon to compare weapons, do a little shooting and talk strategy. Software professionals, executives and salesmen in their 30s and 40s, they're typical upper middle-class Delhiwallahs. Except for one thing: While liberal India bemoans the gun culture taking over its metropolitan cities, they're fighting to make sure one day every Indian gets the right to... (GunPolicy.org)
Notorious Nepal Ex-prince Fires Gun in Drunken Brawl at Luxury Resort
14 December 2010
Times of India
KATHMANDU - Nine years after a shooting at Narayanhity Palace wiped out most of Nepal's royal family, shots rang out at an upscale resort from the gun of one of the massacre's survivors, former crown prince Paras, whose wayward ways, drunken brawls and playboy image made as much news in the country's last few years of royal rule as the unpopular policies of his father, King Gyanendra.
The weekend incident at the popular Tiger Tops jungle lodge in south-western Nepal... (GunPolicy.org)
Five Security Guards with Fake Gun Licences Held in Kolkata Police Raid
2 December 2010
Times of India
KOLKATA - CID Officers have rounded up five persons for using fake gun licenses.
Late on Tuesday, a special CID team raided the Dunlop factory at Sahaganj in Hooghly and picked up five security guards there working for a private security agency.
Police said, the five arrested — Jayprakash Yadav, Amit Gupta,Santosh Yadav, Sailendra Singh and Sunil Singh. All five are from Bhojpur, Rohtas and Siwan area of Bihar and have been working for the agency for past couple of... (GunPolicy.org)
India Manufactures 'A Mere 90,000 Assault Rifles a Year' - DefenseWorld
1 December 2010
Defenseworld.net
For a country facing insurgency and militancy, its defence and security forces place orders for only 90,000 5.56mm assault rifles out of a total of 164,000 small and personnel arms a year. This the average yearly production of its ordnance factories.
According to information given to the Indian parliament by Minister of State for Defence, Mr MM Pallam Raju, the production is largely from three state owned factories, Rifle Factory Ishapore, Small Arms Factory Kanpur and... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Runner Tells of Frequent Handgun Smuggling from India to Nepal
27 November 2010
Kantipur (Nepal)
KATHMANDU - Laxman Shah's (name changed) life seemed routine to his neighbours, until the day the police arrested him. His wife and children were shocked, as they were kept in the dark about his real profession. Shah has been a dealer of firearms for the past decade — an arms mule who regularly procured small arms from the Indian towns of Sitamarhi, Sursand, Basopatti, and Ladniya to send them to the Capital.
Shah was released a few months ago from Jaleshwor Jail,... (GunPolicy.org)
Delhi Police Seize 11 Handguns, Arrest Alleged Interstate Gun Runners
23 November 2010
Times of India
NEW DELHI - Delhi Police claimed to have smashed two gun running rackets stretching from Bihar to the national capital with the arrest of ten youths and recovery of 11 pistols.
While a gang of seven was apprehended by Crime Branch in a span of four days from November 18, South District Police arrested three persons on November 19.
The arrests by Crime Branch team came following investigations into an input about the operations of Sandeep Dahiya, the alleged kingpin of... (GunPolicy.org)
Man, Female Student Charged with Trafficking Handguns to Delhi Gangs
13 November 2010
Indian Express
A 20-year-old woman and a 42-year-old man were arrested for supplying sophisticated semi-automatic weapons and ammunition to organised gangs in Delhi and the National Capital Region.
The accused have been identified as Zainab Nisha and Riyaz Mohammad, residents of Mustafabad and Ferozabad respectively.
The gang is reportedly part of a larger syndicate, police said. Shibesh Singh, Additional Commissioner of Police (Special Cell), said: "The gang used to rope in women... (GunPolicy.org)
'Gross Negligence' Kills 2 Indian Students in School Machine Gun Demo
21 October 2010
Times of India
HYDERABAD - Gross negligence on the part of a cop proved fatal for two students during a demonstration of weapons held as part of the Police Commemoration Week at Velerupadu in the district on Wednesday.
Two school students lost their lives when a 9 mm carbine weapon of APSP (Andhra Pradesh Special Police) constable Srinivas Rao went off accidentally during the demonstration held at the local zilla parishad high school at the mandal headquarters town — 80 km from... (GunPolicy.org)
Indian Policeman Shoots 6 Teens, Kills 2 in School Machine Gun Demo
20 October 2010
Telegraph (India)
HYDERABAD - Little did the boys know what lay in store when they excitedly marched to school this morning to see a police demo of weapons used to fight Maoists.
Venkatkrishna and Sathyasai Babu, students of a school in Velerpadu town of Andhra's Khammam district, were killed today after the sten gun of a constable showing them how to use the weapon accidentally went off.
Police sources said the boys, students of Class X and Class IX respectively, had crowded around... (GunPolicy.org)
Fake Documents, Bogus Reasons Used to Obtain Bombay Gun Licences
17 October 2010
Press Trust of India
The Maharashtra Government has informed the Bombay High Court that it would frame new rules within six weeks for issuing gun licences to ensure that only those residing in the state availed this facility.
The Government's assurance came in response to a petition alleging misuse of gun licence rules to accommodate persons hailing from other states such as former Bihar Minister Jamshed Ashraf.
The Government told the court on Thursday that the new rules would enumerate... (GunPolicy.org)
Celebratory Shooting Greets Indian Minister: 'I Hate Gun Culture,' He Says
15 October 2010
Times of India
JAMSHEDPUR - The first-time minister, Gopal Krishna Patar alias Raja Peter, disapproves "gun culture". This he made clear on Thursday.
During his maiden visit to the city on Wednesday, after becoming a minister in the Arjun Munda-led government, Peter's overenthusiastic supporters had fired shots in the air to accord him a rousing welcome. But their "daring" act boomeranged as Peter made public his displeasure to it.
"I don't like display of guns and firing shots in... (GunPolicy.org)
Home Made, US-imported Guns Seized from Traffickers in Mumbai
18 September 2010
Daily News & Analysis (India)
The Kurla police on Friday arrested two people who were on their way to deliver a small arms consignment including loaded US-made and country-made revolvers to some unidentified persons at Chita Camp in Trombay.
"Fahim Ahmed Dalwai, 30, a resident of Chita Camp, and Tilakchand Sawant, 30, a resident of Neral in Karjat, were arrested for possessing the lethal arms. They were remanded to police custody till September 21 by the additional chief metropolitan magistrate's... (GunPolicy.org)
Emerging Indian Gun Lobby Fights Tighter Firearm Licensing, Gun Control
9 August 2010
Telegraph (India)
NEW DELHI - For the first time, Parliament could witness a battle over an issue usually associated with US politics: gun control.
The home ministry's plan to amend the Arms Act, making gun licences harder to obtain for ordinary citizens, is poised to face strong opposition in the House.
The National Association for Gun Rights in India (Nagri) is mobilising support among MPs with the backing of its chief patron, Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh.
Nagri... (GunPolicy.org)
India,Myanmar,Bangladesh,South Asia,China
Separatists, Burmese Rebels Make and Sell 'Chinese' Guns Across Region
3 August 2010
BBC News
South Asia's illegal arms market is full of "Chinese-made weapons" - but many of them may not actually be made in China.
Anti-arms campaigners say that the rifles and machine guns which South Asia's rebel armies buy are manufactured under "an informal franchise" that Burma's rebel United Wa State Army (UWSA) has managed to secure from Chinese ordnance factories.
The UWSA is an ethnic left-wing rebel militia, with an estimated 30,000 fighters. It is accused of being... (GunPolicy.org)
High Demand for Legal, Illegal Firearms as India Tightens Gun Control
25 July 2010
Economic Times (India)
When Mahendra Singh Dhoni applied to buy a 9 mm pistol, it triggered a riot of redtapism in his home state of Jharkhand. He was made to run from pillar to post for several months, before his application was sent to Delhi's North Block, the union home ministry headquarters, for final approval. The captain of the national cricket team finally received the licence for the bore, but not before two years of paperwork and a controversy over the authorities demanding, among... (GunPolicy.org)
Illegal Arms Trade, Gun Trafficking Said to Flourish in Nepal Tourist Area
2 July 2010
BBC News
The central Kathmandu tourist district of Thamel has become a centre for illegal trade in guns and small arms.
Kathmandu's police chief said the area was becoming increasingly violent because of its popularity with the city's drug dealers and criminals.
With cheap restaurants, backpacker hostels and shops, Thamel has long been the tourist capital of Nepal.
Most tourists spend at least a day here before heading out into the country to go trekking or rafting.
But in... (GunPolicy.org)
Zimbabwe,India,Algeria,Chad,Angola,Saudi Arabia,Colombia,Libya,South Africa,Swaziland,Cameroon,United Arab Emirates
South Africa Takes Fire for Gun Sales to Conflict Areas, Blacklisted Nations
1 July 2010
Christian Science Monitor
JOHANNESBURG - South Africa, which has been winning applause for its hosting of the 2010 World Cup, is now coming under fire for another success: global arms sales.
According to the South African watch group, Ceasefire Campaign, South African arms merchants have sold $1.7 billion worth of weapons in the past decade to "problematic" countries that are either involved in internal conflicts or with poor human rights records. The arms sales would appear to be in violation... (GunPolicy.org)
Civil Society Groups Urge India to Support Global Gun Trade Treaty
10 May 2010
City News (Pakistan) / NNI
Each year around the world, 500,000 people are killed directly with conventional weapons and many more are injured, abused, forcibly displaced and bereaved as a result of armed violence.
An Indian Civil Society urging for an International Arms Trade Treaty to stop the inflow of illegal small arms and light weapons in India said: "Around 58,000 Indians died due to armed violence in the last 15 years. The highest casualties have been reported from India's Northeast... (GunPolicy.org)
Kashmir's Century-old Gun Manufacturing Industry Battling for Survival
21 March 2010
Press Trust of India
SRINAGAR - Kashmir's gun manufacturing industry is battling for survival.
Out of several gun manufacturing factories in Kashmir only two have survived.
Established in the early years of the last century, the factories would manufacture and sell their products - 12 bore Single Barrel and 12 bore Double Barrel rifles - to the foreigners, tourists and locals who had a passion for hunting birds and wild animals.
Almost 100 years later, there is a ban on hunting, a... (GunPolicy.org)
Customs Officer Sent Home with Pistol, Killed 14yr-old Mumbai Neighbour
21 March 2010
Hindustan Times (Delhi)
MUMBAI - Harish Marolia, the retired customs officer who shot his 14-year-old neighbour dead and was shot down by the police on Thursday, used to threaten people with his revolver. The 65-year-old would frequently terrorise children playing at the Andheri Sports Complex with his gun, the police said.
A member of the Complex, Marolia would brandish his gun at the children for being loud and unruly. "He was in the habit of flaunting his authority and using his power," a... (GunPolicy.org)
East Indian Ministers 'Accidentally' Shot Official with Licensed Handgun
15 March 2010
The Sangai Express
IMPHAL,India - Following the incident of injuring Advocate General N Koteshwar when Works Minister K Ranjit Singh 'accidentally' opened fire from the licensed gun of TD Minister DD Thaisii, the State Home Department has sought detailed report on all the licensed gun owners in every districts. It is said that most of the licensed gun owners do not know the purpose of keeping the firearms.
Accordingly to a highly placed source, the Home Department has sought details of... (GunPolicy.org)
Indian Campaigners Call for Global Gun Trade Treaty, Fewer Firearms
15 February 2010
Hindustan Times (Delhi)
NEW DELHI - Twenty-one organisations from across the country have come together to appeal to the Government to go for welfare instead of warfare.
In a parallel event to the Defence Expo-2010 starting this Monday, these organisations, representing civil society, are gathering for "Delhi disarmament events and conference for an arms trade treaty," which will focus on the consequences of arms trade and the way military spending is prioritised over the well-being of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Lobby Groups Mobilise as Indian Gun Owners Imagine 'Right to Bear Arms'
1 February 2010
Washington Post
In the land of Mahatma Gandhi, Indian gun owners are coming out of the shadows for the first time to mobilize, U.S.-style, against proposed new curbs on bearing arms.
When gunmen attacked 10 sites in Mumbai in November 2008, including two five-star hotels and a train station, Mumbai resident Kumar Verma sat at home glued to the television, feeling outraged and unsafe.
Before the end of December, Verma and his friends had applied for gun licenses. He read up on India's... (GunPolicy.org)
Police to Focus on Nepal-India Smuggling of Chinese Guns and Ammo
14 January 2010
Hindustan Times (Delhi)
Alarmed by the continuous seizure of huge quantities of arms and explosives, the Bihar police has decided to approach neighbouring state agencies to unravel the inter-state network of arms and ammunition peddlers and crime syndicate active on the Indo-Nepal border. "A meeting chaired by Director General of Police Anand Shankar decided to approach neighbouring state agencies to eliminate the inter-state network of peddlers of arms, ammunition and explosive materials,"... (GunPolicy.org)
India to Tighten Gun Licensing, Registration Laws to Curb Proliferation
10 January 2010
The Hindu (New Delhi)
In a bid to check proliferation of both legal and illegal weapons, the government has decided to review the law for granting licences to individuals and keep a database of those issued across the country.
The Home Ministry says proliferation of arms, whether licensed or illegal, vitiates the law and order situation and holding of sophisticated weapons by conflicting parties directly contributes towards lethality of violent acts.
“Therefore, in principle,... (GunPolicy.org)
Cousins Playing With 'Toy' .303 Pipe Gun, Put in Mouth, 12 year-old Shot
7 January 2010
The Telegraph (Calcutta)
Malda, Jan. 7: The left jaw of a 12-year-old was blown off today when a pipe gun with which a cousin of his was playing went off in a Kaliachak village this morning.
Police said the injured boy, Harun Sheikh, was admitted to the district hospital here and later referred to North Bengal Medical College and Hospital in Siliguri. Doctors attending to him said the boy’s left jaw and two teeth were blown off and the face suffered a ghastly injury.
The child who was... (GunPolicy.org)
India Plans National Gun Registry, Owner Licensing, Gun Seizure Audits
24 December 2009
Hindustan Times (Delhi)
NEW DELHI -- In a move to check weapons seized by security forces finding their way back to the streets, the home ministry has decided to make annual audits mandatory for confiscated and obsolete weapons.
The audit, a home ministry official said, was prescribed in the draft policy to ensure that security agencies tightened control over the arms seized by them.
The new rule is part of the home ministry’s overhaul of India’s policy on firearms that aims at... (GunPolicy.org)
India Resumes Weapon Sales, Gun 'Loans' to Nepal After 4 Year Ban
23 December 2009
Indian Express
Ending a four-year self-imposed ban, India has decided to resume supply of small arms to Nepal. The ban came into effect in February 2005 when then King Gyanendra sacked the democratically elected government.
The decision to resume supplies — to begin with, only small arms will be supplied on "loan" — was taken at a meeting convened by the Home Ministry earlier this month.
Incidentally, Nepalese Maoists oppose any move by Kathmandu to buy arms from... (GunPolicy.org)
