In a significant legal development today, a Mumbai court acquitted Manohar Jawahar Gupta, who had been arrested in 2012 for allegedly possessing 16 country-made pistols and 10 cartridges. The acquittal was based on multiple procedural lapses and inconsistencies in the prosecution’s case. Key issues included contradictory testimonies about the location of the seizure and conflicting descriptions of the suspect’s bag. Additionally, the court found that the prosecution lacked a valid sanction under Section 39 of the Arms Act, as the Deputy Commissioner admitted to not physically examining the evidence or interrogating officers before issuing the sanction. Furthermore, the prosecution failed to prove the existence of a valid prohibitory order under Section 37(1) of the Bombay Police Act, which was necessary to support related charges. Given these significant discrepancies and procedural errors, the court dismissed the case and acquitted Gupta .

Separately, in Jamshedpur, police arrested Mohammad Khaliq for his involvement in an illegal arms trading racket. Operating out of Garib Nawaz Colony, Khaliq was a key member of a gang that smuggled country-made firearms from Bihar’s Munger district into Jharkhand. The gang stocked and supplied these weapons to various clients across the state. Police recovered a pistol magazine, 22 weapon springs of different sizes, and other firearm accessories during Khaliq’s arrest. Two accomplices are currently absconding, and additional suspects may be involved .

In another incident, Gyanchand Pasi, a notorious gangster with a Rs 1 lakh bounty on his head and a record of over 75 criminal cases, was killed in an encounter with the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force in Barabanki’s Ramnagar area. Police recovered a cache of illegal weaponry, including multiple firearms and live ammunition, from the site.

These incidents highlight ongoing concerns about illegal arms possession and the challenges faced by law enforcement agencies in addressing such activities.

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