Case registered against Blinkit for selling prohibited knives online

Delhi Police have registered a case against the quick-commerce platform Blinkit for allegedly selling prohibited knives online. The action was taken following a crackdown triggered by two recent murder cases in West Delhi, where the accused confessed to purchasing the weapons through the app.

Police said an FIR has been lodged under Sections 25, 54, and 59 of the Arms Act at Khyala police station. So far, 50 illegal knives have been seized from Blinkit warehouses and stores in Delhi and Gurugram.

The action came after investigators probing two separate murder cases in West Delhi found that the knives used in both crimes had been bought via e-commerce platforms. During questioning, the accused in the cases admitted that they had ordered the knives through Blinkit. To verify the claims, police officers placed a test order on February 13 for a 'Stanley' knife through the Blinkit app. The product was delivered within 15 minutes. After examining the knife, police found that it was a manually operated folding knife with a blade measuring 8 cm in length and 2.5 cm in width.

Under the Arms Act, any knife exceeding the prescribed commercial dimensions of 7.62 cm in length and 1.72 cm in width cannot be sold without a licence. The knife ordered by the police exceeded both limits and was classified as a prohibited arm. “When we questioned the delivery person, it was revealed that these knives were stocked at Blinkit's warehouse in Khayla,” a police officer said.

Following this, police teams conducted multiple raids. On February 15, officers searched several Blinkit stores across Delhi and recovered 16 illegal knives. The next day, another 32 knives were seized from a Blinkit warehouse in Farrukhnagar, Gurugram.

In total, 50 illegal knives have been recovered so far. Police said further investigation is underway to trace the supply chain and identify individuals responsible for stocking and distributing the prohibited items.

Senior officers said the easy online availability of sharp weapons has become a serious concern, especially in cases involving juveniles.