Preventing misuse of firearms: Telangana DGP Jitender orders audit of all licenses in State

Hyderabad: Amid rising concerns over illegal firearms and misuse of licensed weapons, Telangana Director General of Police (DGP) Dr Jitender has ordered a comprehensive audit of all arms licenses in the State.

In a high-level review meeting held on Friday, Jitender directed senior police officials to scrutinise existing license holders, identify irregularities and crack down on smuggled weapons to ensure public safety and strict compliance with the law.

7,125 arms license holders in Telangana

Elaborating further, the DGP said that Telangana currently has 7,125 arms license holders with a total of 9,294 registered weapons. However, only 510 new licenses were issued in the last three years, indicating heightened scrutiny in granting fresh permits.

Review of suspicious licenses ordered

Senior police officials, including commissioners and superintendents, have been directed to review all licenses that have come under adverse notice. License holders will be served notices, and the continuation of licenses will depend on the genuineness of their stated reasons.

The review will specifically target individuals who received licenses for sports purposes but have not participated in any competitions, licensees who haven’t purchased a weapon within a reasonable time, cases where weapons have remained unused for years, with no ammunition purchases or renewals and firearms stored in armouries for extended periods without valid use.

Licence holders who have changed addresses must re-register

The DGP also instructed that license holders who have relocated must re-register their arms with the respective local police jurisdictions. If their new whereabouts are unknown, notices should be served at their last known address.

Officials were reminded that arms licenses must be issued strictly under the Arms (Amendment) Act, 2019, and the renewal process must include a thorough vetting of the necessity for possessing a firearm. Applications failing to justify the need for a weapon will be rejected.

Zero tolerance for illegal arms

Highlighting the importance of public safety, Dr Jitender reiterated the State’s zero-tolerance policy toward the movement of illegal firearms. He urged officers to remain vigilant and collect intelligence on arms smuggling networks.