Gun stores in Punjab make hay in election season

Patiala, February 6

Gun shop owners in almost all districts of Punjab are making hay with the Election Commission ordering residents to deposit arms ahead of the Assembly elections.

With the malkhanas (store rooms) of police stations full to capacity, weapon owners are turning to private gun houses to deposit firearms as per the EC guidelines.

Another reason for choosing private gun stores is the cumbersome process of getting the weapons released after the polls and worries about the proper upkeep in malkhanas.

“Getting a weapon released from a police station is a task. Therefore, it is better to pay a private gun house to store your firearms,” said a weapon owner. Many have chosen to deposit their firearms with gun shops for Rs 2,500-4,000 fee.

With the state accounting for maximum arms licences in the country, the Punjab Police are also facing a daunting task of making space for storing nearly 4 lakh weapons.

However, security at private gun stores has always been under scanner. In 2019, 68 pistols and revolvers were stolen from a gun house in Jandiala Guru.