Illegal firearms seized from RJD legislator’s house in Bihar; one arrested

PATNA: An MLA of Bihar’s main Opposition RJD has been accused of sheltering gun smugglers after a police raid at her house led to the seizure of three illegal guns and the arrest of a smuggler.

Kunti Devi, the MLA from Atri in Gaya district, however, said on Friday that she and her family members had nothing to do with the illegal firearms and that the arrested man, Jackie Kumar, was a tenant in her house.

“If I knew he (Jackie) was involved in such activities, I would not have let him live here,” said the MLA, who is facing trial for the murder of a worker of the ruling JD(U) at Atri in February 2013. Her husband, former RJD legislator Rajendra yadav, is lodged in Gaya jail, where he is serving a life term for a girl’s murder in February 2005.

Two country-made carbines, one 9mm pistol and six live cartridges were recovered at the MLA’s house at Gaya during a joint raid by the Special Task Force and the district police on Thursday. While Jackie was arrested, two other men present in the house with him fled. The duo was identified as Pankaj Yadav, the brother-in-law of Kunti Devi’s son Ranjeet Yadav and Dablu Yadav, said police.

“The raid was conducted after a tip-off was received about smuggling of illegal firearms being run from the house. Raids are being conducted to arrest all those involved in this smuggling ring,” said Gaya SSP Rajeev Mishra.

Police sources said at least 150 firearms had been supplied by Jackie, Pankaj and Dablu in Gaya district and nearby areas in the past one month.

The ruling JD(U) dubbed RJD as a party of criminals. “The leader of Opposition, Tejashwi Yadav must speak on this incident and explain why his party is harbouring criminals. He must answer how an MLA’s house was used for smuggling of guns,” said JD(U) MLC and spokesperson Neeraj Kumar.