Question : ILLEGAL GUNS IN J & K

(a) whether attention of the Government has been drawn to the news-item captioned `illegal guns from J & K areas ultras in 10 States` appearing in `The Statesman` on February 2002;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) the steps taken to ensure that the licensed guns do not hand up in the hands of terrorists, criminals and other anti-national elements operating in the other States of the country;

(d) whether guns licensed in other States have also handed up in `criminals` and terrorists` hands operating in various States; and

(e) the steps taken to ensure that illegal guns supplied by other organizations also like ULFA are unearthed and the guilty punished ?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI CH.VIDYASAGAR RAO)

(a) & (b): Yes, Sir. CBI has registered four cases under Section 25 of the Arms Act, 1959 against arms dealers of Jammu, Delhi, Panipat and Faridabad and certain officials in Jammu, Faridabad and Gurgaon.

(c): Instructions have been issued to the State Governments/UT Administrations to scrupulously follow the provisions of the Arms Act while granting arms possession licences to individuals after verifying their antecedents including their domicile, so that arms do not go to the hands of terrorists, criminals etc.

(d) & (e): The State Governments/Union Territory Administrations were requested to launch a drive to unearth illegal/unlicensed arms and ammunition. During the period 1st July to 30th September, 2001. As per the information received 585 arms and 459 rounds of ammunition of different categories were seized and 565 cases have been registered against the accused persons.