Illegal gun manufacturers arrested

BHUBANESWAR: Two persons of a family were arrested for illegally manufacturing guns and selling it to anti-socials in the city, said the Commissionerate Police here on Thursday. The persons were nabbed by the Lingaraj police after tracking the mobile phone of the gun manufacturer on Wednesday.

The accused were identified as Santilata Maharana (52) and her son Nirmal Maharana (18) of Ranapur area under Samuka police station in Nayagarh district. Another two of the family Govind Maharana (55), Santilata’s husband, and her elder son Kanhu Maharana (22) are absconding, said the police.

The police on Wednesday tracked the mobile number of Nirmal when he was talking over phone with an arm dealer to supply material. After tracking the telephone of the gun maker, Lingaraj police nabbed him and also his mother from Ranapur area.

The police seized a country-made single shot pistol and gun making equipments from the possession of the accused.

According to the police, the family has been making the hand-made guns in their village smithy by using very basic and crude equipments like iron rods, pipes and handle rods of cycle. They did deliver a single shot pistol within 15 to 20 days, they added.

Sources said that the family used to supply the hand-made pistols to gangsters, looters, contract killers and professional anti-socials in the State. They charge around Rs 6,000 for single shot pistols and around Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 for six-round pistols, said the sources.

“They have been doing these works in their village and they were arrested before for making these fire arms, but it was for the first time we tracked them in the city,” said Bhubaneswar DCP Nitinjit Singh.  

Nirmal, the ITI training student, was staying at his sister’s home at Rabi Talkies square in the city and was making guns to sale it to the dealers. He was making single shot and 303 revolvers in his house, said the police.

The mother, son duo was forwarded to the court on Thursday. Investigation is on to nab the other culprits involved in the case, police said.