Delay in revoking arms licences procured by Amritpal aides from J&K; CBI may be part of probe

It appeared that the fugitive preacher Amritpal Singh’s two personal security officers who are retired from the Army -- Varinder Singh of the 19th Sikh Regiment and Talwinder Singh of the 23rd Armoured Punjab Regiment -- had their arms licences either renewed or freshly issued from districts in the neighbouring Union Territory.

The ongoing crackdown on Khalistan supporters has brought to light a questionable delay in revoking arms licences granted to the armed guards of radical preacher Amritpal Singh in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.

It appeared that the fugitive preacher's two personal security officers who are retired from the Army -- Varinder Singh of the 19th Sikh Regiment and Talwinder Singh of the 23rd Armoured Punjab Regiment -- had their arms licences either renewed or freshly issued from districts in the neighbouring Union Territory.

Officials said that despite the additional director general of police (intelligence) of Punjab writing to the deputy commissioners concerned on January 12 -- almost six weeks before an altercation involving Amritpal Singh's supporters where the duo unabashedly exhibited their weapons -- the licences were not cancelled.

Under section 17 (3)(b) of the Arms Act, the licensing authority possesses the power to nullify or suspend a licence if they perceive it necessary for public safety.

The arms licences of both Talwinder Singh of Kot Dharam Chand Klan in Amritsar district and Varinder Singh alias Fauji, who is currently incarcerated in Assam, were invalidated by the deputy commissioners of Ramban and Kishtwar districts respectively.

Varinder Singh's licence had not been renewed since July 24, 2017, according to the cancellation order of March 9 this year.

Cases of issuance of fake gun licences have been reported from Jammu and Kashmir from time to time, and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is probing the matter.