Manipur: Chandel, Tengnoupal residents asked to deposit licensed guns

Imphal: The district administration of both Chandel and Tengnoupal on Wednesday asked all licensed gun owners to deposit their weapons in their jurisdictional police station in the interest of maintaining law and order ahead of the Assembly elections to be held in March 2022.

In an order, Chandel district magistrate Mayanglambam Rajkumar stated that in compliance of the direction of the state Home department, all the licensed arms holders must deposit their fire-arms recorded in their respective licenses issued by the office of the district administration to the concerned or nearest police stations with immediate effect. Failing which the licence is liable to be punished for violation of state government instruction under the relevant provision Arms Act, 1959 read with Arms Rules, 2016, it added.

Apart from depositing the licensed firearms, all allied service of arms licence except renewal service will not be processed in the district until further instruction or order or completion of election process, whichever is earlier, said Tengnoupal district magistrate Lourembam Bikram.

Earlier, the state chief minister asked all licensed gun owners to deposit the weapons at the nearest police station. The decision was taken in view of the increasing number of clashes among the supporters of several politicians ahead of assembly elections next year.

At least six persons were reportedly injured when two groups belonging to rival candidates of Andro Assembly clashed last month.

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