The Hindu : Unlicensed guns seized from Dharmapuri villages

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jun 23, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

Unlicensed guns seized from Dharmapuri villages

By Our Staff Reporter

The police displaying guns seized from Dharmapuri villages on Saturday.

SALEM JUNE 22. The police seized 49 crude single-bore muzzle-loaded guns from the villages of Papparapatti and Pennagaram blocks in Dharmapuri district last evening.

Seven persons, including two "manufacturers'' were arrested and remanded to custody in this connection under the Indian Arms Act.

Acting on specific information that many farmers, living on the fringe areas of dense forests, were in possession of unlicensed and clandestinely manufactured country guns to ward off wild animals, a special team had been conducting raids in the villages for the past one month.

During the raid, the police stumbled upon the kingpin of the clandestine unit, Devaraj (55) of Sangilinatham, and seized four guns from his house. An enquiry led to confiscation of many crude guns in the cluster of villages in Papparapatti and Pennagaram blocks. Another manufacturer, Sakthivel of Elumalmanthai, was also arrested and the police seized seven guns from his house.

According to a senior police official both Devaraj and Sakthivel had sold guns to many villagers, at Rs. 500 to Rs. 1000 each. The maximum number of guns were supplied to a single village in Pennagaram block. But on instructions from the police, the villagers surrendered 20 of them.

The investigation also revealed that one of the guns was allegedly used in the murder of a communist leader, Ramakrishnan at Periyur, a year ago.

The police issued a stern warning to the villagers that those who were in possession of guns and arms without valid papers immediately surrender them.

The Dharmapuri SP, Periyaiah, congratulated the investigation team and rewarded its members with cash prizes.

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