Gun shop sealed in Jammu; deadline set for surrendering excess firearms

JAMMU: A shop selling guns was sealed for not renewing its trade license here on Saturday while authorities set a deadline for all firearms license holders to surrender their excess weapons within a week, officials said.

The owner of the gun shop in the Shiv Nagar area, Amarnath Bhargav, claimed that the district administration did not issue any notice to him before taking action.

“I have timely applied for the renewal of the license and completed all requisite formalities several months ago but they came and sealed the shop without a notice,” Bhargav said, demanding an inquiry into the delay in renewing the license.

He said that he has been running the shop for the last 45 years.

Meanwhile, District Magistrate of Jammu, Sachin Kumar Vaishya, issued an order directing all firearm license holders of the district to comply with the provisions of the Arms (Amendment) Act 2019.

According to the Act, no individual is permitted to possess more than two firearms. The identified license holders with more than two firearms must surrender their additional weapons within one week, the official said.

“These license holders are instructed to deposit their other firearm at the nearest police station or authorised unit armoury, in case of Armed Forces members of the Union,” the order said.

“Upon surrender, they must also ensure proper endorsement on their licenses, to avoid cancellation and further legal action under the Arms Act,” it said.

It said non-compliance with the order will lead to immediate cancellation of licenses, with stringent action initiated against defaulters. (PTI)