Gun Shop Sealed in Jammu, Firearm Surrender Deadline Issued by Authorities

Jammu, Dec 7: Authorities sealed a gun shop in the Shiv Nagar area for allegedly operating without a valid trade license while issuing a strict deadline for firearm license holders to comply with the Arms (Amendment) Act, 2019. The action, taken on Saturday, has sparked concerns among stakeholders, including the shop owner, Amarnath Bhargav, who claims procedural lapses in the administration’s approach.

Bhargav, who has been running the gun shop for over 45 years, said, “I applied for the renewal of my trade license well in time and fulfilled all necessary formalities months ago. Despite this, my shop was sealed without prior notice.” He urged authorities to conduct an inquiry into the delay in processing his license renewal, alleging unfair treatment.

Simultaneously, Jammu District Magistrate Sachin Kumar Vaishya issued an order mandating all firearm license holders in the district to align with the provisions of the Arms (Amendment) Act, 2019. Under the Act, individuals are prohibited from owning more than two firearms.

The order specifies that license holders possessing more than two firearms must surrender their additional weapons within one week. “The surplus firearms should be deposited at the nearest police station or an authorized unit armoury, particularly for Armed Forces personnel,” the directive states.

To ensure compliance, the surrendered weapons must be duly endorsed on the respective licenses, failing which the licenses will face immediate cancellation. Furthermore, defaulters may face stringent legal action under the Arms Act.