Former state-level athlete among trio nabbed for supplying weapons in capital

New Delhi, Jan 12 (IANS) Ahead of Republic Day celebrations, the Delhi Police’s Special Cell has nabbed three members, including a former state-level athlete, of an interstate illegal firearms syndicate for allegedly supplying illegal weapons in the national capital and its peripherals.

The officials said that the accused had supplied more than 150 pistols in the last three years and police have also recovered 12 semi-automatic pistols from their possession.

The accused have been identified as Pushpendra Singh (25), a resident of Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, Naeem, (19), a resident of Hapur, UP and Manish Bhati (19), a resident of Jodhpur district, Rajasthan.

The official said that Pushpendra was a state-level athlete, and he participated in an 800-metre event at the junior level in 2014-15.

The Special Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) HGS Dhaliwal said that in view of the forthcoming Republic Day celebrations 2024, a special drive has been launched by the Special Cell against the illegal firearms traffickers involved in supplying firearms in Delhi NCR after procuring from Sendhwa, Khargone, Dhar, and other districts of Madhya Pradesh.

Recently, specific input was received that a member of a MP-based firearms syndicate, namely Pushpendra, would come to Kalindi Kunj Road, Okhla, Delhi, on January 7 to deliver firearms to his associates.

“A trap was laid and at about 11:50 a.m., Pushpendra Singh was spotted coming towards the spot carrying a backpack on his shoulder. After around five minutes, two boys, Naeem and Manish Bhati, came there, and Pushpendra took out two small bags from his backpack and handed over one each to them,” said Dhaliwal.

Thereafter, the police team surrounded them and asked them to surrender, but they tried to flee from the spot.

“All three accused were nabbed by the police team. On search, six sophisticated pistols were recovered from the possession of Pushpendra, while four pistols were recovered from Naeem, and two semi-automatic pistols were also recovered from the bag of Manish,” said the Special CP.

On interrogation, Pushpendra Singh disclosed that he had received the consignment of recovered pistols from a notorious arms manufacturer-supplier in MP.

“He has further disclosed that he has been indulging in the supply of illegal firearms and ammunition in Delhi NCR and Uttar Pradesh West for the last three years and has supplied more than 150 pistols in this period,” said Dhaliwal.

On interrogation, all the arrested individuals has further revealed that they used to purchase a semi-automatic pistol for Rs 9,000 to 12,000 from MP and further sell it for Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000 to gangsters and criminals in Delhi NCR and UP (West).

“Pushpendra disclosed that he was lured by a person from an adjoining village to join the arms trafficking syndicate. Initially, Pushpendra worked with the local firearms suppliers, but soon he developed his own network and started trafficking firearms from MP. Naeem and Manish disclosed that they recently joined this arms trafficking racket to earn quick money,” said the Special CP.

They further disclosed that the recovered consignment of illegal firearms was to be delivered at Hapur (UP) and Shaheen Bagh, Delhi.

“Further interrogation of the accused persons is in progress. Efforts to identify and arrest the remaining members of this arms syndicate are being made,” the Special CP added.

–IANS

ssh/prw