Date:12/06/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/06/12/stories/2008061260110500.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

40 Chinese-made daggers seized

Staff Reporter

Novelty shop owner used to buy the arms from Mumbai

— PHOTO: K. RAMESH BABU

Rich haul: Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Task Force A.S.C Wesley having a look at the daggers seized in the city on Wednesday.

HYDERABAD: A novelty shop owner Sankal Chand Jain, who was allegedly procuring Chinese-made daggers from Mumbai and selling them in the city, was arrested by the city police on Wednesday.

Forty such daggers were seized from him, the Commissioner’s Task Force Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police A.S.C. John Wesley told a press conference.

Already, Jain allegedly sold nearly 60 daggers -- each for Rs. 1,000 -- to different persons. He used to procure each dagger for Rs. 100 to Rs. 300.

Hails from Rajasthan

Hailing from Rajasthan, Jain came to the city for earning livelihood and had set up a novelty shop at Feelkhana in Begumbazar. He used to go to Mumbai regularly to purchase articles for the shop.

There, he met Sameer who was selling the daggers. As he could make a profit of over Rs. 500 on each dagger sold, Jain started procuring the weapons.

Mumbai police alerted

“We’re trying to identify the persons to whom he had earlier sold the daggers. Mumbai police were alerted about Samir,” Mr. Wesley said.

The Additional DCP appealed to people to pass on any information relating to anti-social elements and criminals on mobile phone nos. 94906-16627 or 94906-16628. In another case, the South Zone Task Force team led by Inspector A.S. Mohd. Ismail arrested Md. Khaleel Ahmed, 22, and seized a big sword and daggers. Ahmed was earlier arrested in a rape case.