Gujarat ATS to grill gun racket kingpin

AHMEDABAD: Tarun Gupta, of Tarun Gupta Gun House, was brought for interrogation from Bhuj to Ahmedabad by a Gujarat ATS team on Wednesday.
Gupta had been arrested and put in judicial custody of the Bhuj court for selling guns against licences obtained on forged documents or fudged entries. His role was revealed when some accused were caught in an attempt to hunt a peahen in Kutch on June 8. “Fourteen firearms were seized from the accused by cops of B-Division police station, Bhuj, on June 8. The number and variety of the weapons pointed at a well-organized gun racket and the case was transferred to anti-terrorism squad,” said an ATS official.
“Gupta will also be arrested by ATS in a recent seizure of 54 guns from nine accused. We expect to seize at least another 50 to 60 imported and Indian guns based on Gupta’s interrogation and this may lead to the highest seizure of guns in the state till date,” said an ATS official.
Gujarat ATS had recently seized 54 guns from nine accused, which included imported guns and those made at Indian ordinance factories. The guns were bought either on licences issued on forged documents or wrong entry in description of guns in the licences.
In the recent seizure, ATS had found a wide range of firearms including automatic pistols, pocket pistols, Mauser, 9mm Colt pistols, double and single-barrelled guns and 0.22 bore rifles, cumulatively valued at Rs 80 lakh.
The first to be arrested in this case were one Wahidkhan Pathan of Kothkaydesar in Gangad and Musaq Baloch of Vankaner. Pathan was arrested with a loaded revolver from near Iscon temple, and Baloch had an automatic pistol when he was held.
Seven more were arrested soon including Javedkhan Pathan, Imrankhan Pathan, Naeemkhan Pathan and Kacha Sandhi of Bavla; Amir Mogal, Raju Yadav and Wasim Diwan of Vankaner.
ATS officials said some of the accused used the firearms for illegal hunting while others may have used them for more serious crimes.