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Punjab Police achieved a significant breakthrough with the dismantling of a fake arms license racket centered around the Tarn Taran Sewa Kendra. The operation, led by the Amritsar Commissionerate Police, resulted in the arrest of two key members of the gang responsible for producing these illicit licenses, along with apprehending six individuals holding fake arms licenses.
The state Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said that the illicit operation was orchestrated from the Tarn Taran Sewa Kendra under the direction of the district manager Suraj Bhandari, who is currently evading arrest. Among those apprehended were Harpal Singh, an employee of the Sewa Kendra; and Baljit Singh, a local photostat shop owner. They confessed to manipulating essential identity documents, including Aadhar cards and arms license forms, to facilitate the creation of fraudulent arms licenses. Police seized a laptop containing incriminating evidence, including software used for document forgery.
The investigation into the racket was initiated following the arrest of Bablu alias Ballu from Anngarh in connection with an attempted murder case on April 9, 2024. During interrogation, Bablu revealed possession of a fake licensed weapon, prompting further inquiries that uncovered the extensive operation.
DGP Yadav emphasized that despite the licenses being verified at the Deputy Commissioner's office in Tarn Taran, they were not reflected in official records, indicating systemic flaws exploited by criminals with prior criminal records. The racket extended its reach beyond Tarn Taran, involving residents of Amritsar who used the facilities there to obtain fake licenses based on forged documents.
The role of licensed gun houses is also under scrutiny, with suspicions raised that some may have knowingly sold arms based on these fake licenses without conducting requisite online verifications. Investigations are ongoing to ascertain the full extent of their involvement.
Amritsar Commissioner of Police (CP) Ranjit Singh Dhillon disclosed that the investigation led to the filing of a First Information Report (FIR) on June 11, 2024. Subsequent operations resulted in the arrest of five additional individuals on charges of possessing fraudulent arms licenses. The seized items included six fake arms licenses, tampered Aadhar cards, and seven weapons, including four .32 bore pistols, two .32 bore revolvers, and one double barrel rifle.
CP Dhillon further detailed that Suraj Bhandari, the mastermind behind the operation, charged clients up to Rs 1.5 lakh per license, , of which, Rs 5k-10k commission was given to accused Photostat shop owner Baljit, while, Sewa Kendra employee Harpal was getting Rs 10k-20k. They used to append QR Codes, holograms, stamps and digital signatures, he said, while adding that Police teams are on manhunt to nab accused Suraj Bhandari.
Police efforts are now focused on locating and apprehending Suraj Bhandari to further dismantle the illicit network.
