Arms surrendered ahead of LS polls; 115 licences cancelled in Valsad

For the first time in the state, Valsad police have permanently cancelled 115 arms licences. 

In a survey carried out on a suggestion from Valsad Collector Aayush Oak, between January and March, district police found 115 instances in which heirs of deceased licensees had been using the weapons without renewing the licences.

According to Valsad district police superintendent of  Dr Karanraj Vaghela, of the 115, 102 were for self-defence and crop protection, while 13 were marked as “pending” over the duplication of the purpose. 

Notably, the Election Commission has asked arms licensees to surrender their weapons to their respective state police until the end of the Lok Sabha 2024 elections. Gujarat will vote for 26 Lok Sabha seats and five of assembly bye-election seats on May 7.  

The move by the Election Commission is an effort to avoid untoward incidents, and law and order problems in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections.

In keeping with this, 541 weapons have been deposited at various local police stations in Valsad district, while 62 owners have been permitted by the Chief Electoral Officer and Collector to keep their weapons over extreme necessities. 

With the cancellation of the 115 licences, heirs of the original licensees can now sell their weapons to the gun house, officials said.