DIMAPUR, OCt 2 (MExN): It is learnt that a number of high-ranking Judicial officers, SDOs, EACs and particularly, some administrative personnel from the clerical ranks are still engaged in clandestine issuance of illegal gun licenses in the districts of Mokokchung, Dimapur, Wokha, and even in the state’s capital, Kohima.
It is reckoned that approximately 50,000 to 65,000 illegal arms licenses have been issued so far since the last two years by various high-ranking officers in their respective Administrative departments and HQs in connivance with lower working staff. Another startling information was that almost 65% of the illegal licenses were issued to individuals from out side the State suspected to be acting as supply conduits to arm Naxalites, local criminal gangs and local warlords in States like Bihar and West Bengal and more recently Chattisgarh.
In the aftermath of the arrest of one Harishankar Singh in January, 2005 for possession of fake licenses, suspicions of a larger racket were raised for the reasons that the licenses originated from elevated branches of District Administrations.
In spite of the fact that issuance of gun license remains banned in Nagaland for the last 10 years, it is learnt that more than 27,466 gun licenses illegally procured, duplicated or fake ones from various districts have been issued illegally since the last 5 months, particularly from the administrative regions of Mokokchung and Wokha district. Virtually, the number of gun licenses issued illegally in spite of the ban or validity of the licenses themselves, would be much higher than investigations have thrown up.
For instance, only about 715 gun licenses of the approximately 2,315 gun licenses issued from Mokokchung district last year have been found to be genuine while 1600 of them were fake. These licenses were transferred to Dimapur for verification, and subsequently handled and scrutinized for renewal and authenticity. Sources from the Administration said that although the Dimapur DC had written to all the districts to submit for verification the arms licenses, there has been no response from the other district higher-ups till now.
It was also learnt that the Arms branches are resorting to dubious means to make money from fake licenses by issuing bogus protocol documents, No Objection certificates, gun permits, and certain “special permits”. Such certificates were being issued/approved with proper signatures by certain EACs and SDOs. Furthermore, a complete ‘set’ of verification certificates/forms are being issued by certain EACs.
According to detailed investigation carried out by The Morung Express, it is also learnt that Gun-house managers serve as the main brokers between customers and the clerks. These managers pay anything around Rs 5,000 to Rs 8,000 for BBLs licenses, single barrel guns and other modified small arms guns. For .22 single shot rifles, the price for a fake license cost around Rs 11,000 to Rs 16,000. The clerks get paid anywhere from Rs 3,000 to Rs 6,000. Regarding the approximate amount paid to the higher ups for getting the final sanction, it is understood that hefty payments are made.
Latest information also suggests that the high-ranking officers are being “put under surveillance” especially in Dimapur and Kohima and that some of them have been identified. However, one investigating officer, following up with the investigations from the Harishankar Case revealed that some politicians and governmental departments are attempting to hush up the arms license case as well as hindering any attempt to arrest officers involved in the racket.
The modus operandi
In Nagaland, it is learnt that since issuing of new gun licenses remains banned, the racketeers, in connivance with certain key-officers or staffers obtain old licenses citing various reasons of renewal, replacement or even on the pretext of getting new plastic covers for the license booklet. The booklets are then ‘renewed’ and transferred to a new booklet while entering the same license number but changing the photograph as well as the name and personal information of the licensee on it. Another technique in making fake gun licenses includes ‘networking’ with some clerical staff, go-betweens, gun-house owners/managers, touts, brokers’ et al.
Here a blank/new copy of the booklet is obtained and filled up with real names, addresses and relevant information for example, of those listed in office documents, particularly of students, retired people and deceased persons. Then it is passed through the involved clerks (if any) to the officer concerned on the pretext of renewal. ‘Commissions’ are paid according to the nature of their respective jobs. However, it could not be established how the fake booklets are approved or “passed through” despite the fact that it is a protocol for verification on the part of the concerned officer.
