Youth held with country-made firearm near Dudheshwar crematorium ahead of rathyatra

In a preventive crackdown ahead of the rathyatra, the Ahmedabad Crime Branch arrested a 21-year-old man from an open field near the Dudheshwar crematorium on Monday for allegedly possessing an illegal, country-made firearm in violation of the police commissioner’s notification order.

As per crime branch officials, the accused, Sonu Shyamsunder Tomar, was spotted acting suspiciously near the crematorium gate, located off the riverfront road near Dadhichi Bridge. Acting on a tip-off, a team rushed to the spot at around 3.05 pm.

Tomar, a resident of Bhargav road, Meghaninagar, and originally from Uttar Pradesh, was apprehended with a locally fabricated pistol wrapped in blue tape and rope. He was dressed in a light green shirt and blue jeans, matching the description provided by the informant.

The weapon, a crude, iron-bodied, hand-made pistol approximately 17 cm in barrel length and 10 cm in handle length, was found concealed under Tomar’s shirt. The accused failed to produce any valid firearm licence or permit, confirming the illegal possession.

The firearm, valued at approximately ₹5,000, was carefully secured in a transparent evidence box, sealed and documented in a panchnama, with witnesses present.

Tomar was arrested under various sections of the Arms Act and of the Gujarat Police Act, and the weapon has been submitted to the Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) for further forensic analysis.

Further investigations are underway to determine whether the accused has any prior criminal history or links to organised groups.