Palwal Court awards 10-Year RI to interstate arms traffickers in 2022 Palwal Case

Palwal: In a significant blow to interstate illegal arms trafficking, a Palwal court has sentenced two members of an interstate arms supply gang to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment in a 2022 case involving the recovery of a large cache of illegal firearms. The verdict reinforces sustained law enforcement efforts to curb the proliferation of country-made weapons that have long fuelled organised crime across Haryana and neighbouring States. Additional Sessions Judge Dr. Tayyab Hussain convicted the accused Kilor Singh and Jam Singh, both residents of Sendhwa in Madhya Pradesh’s Barwani district under Section 25(8) of the Arms Act. The court also imposed a fine of Rs.5,000 on each convict. The case dates back to July 10, 2022, when, under the directions of then Superintendent of Police Rajesh Duggal, CIA Cell Hodal team, led by then Inspector Jang Sher Singh and Sub-Inspector Hanish Khan, acted on specific intelligence and set up a blockade at Dabchik Mod. The operation led to the arrest of the gang’s mastermind and his associate, along with the recovery of a large cache of weapons. Police recovered 35 pistols and six country-made firearms, taking the total to 41 illegal weapons, along with 11 magazines.Subsequent investigations revealed that the accused were part of a wider interstate arms supply network, distributing illegal weapons across Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, and other regions. Police later dismantled an illegal arms manufacturing unit operated by the accused in Barwani, recovering weapon-making tools and machinery used to fabricate country-made firearms. Officials said the conviction was the result of meticulous investigation, robust evidence collection, and effective prosecution, carried out under the supervision of the then Superintendent of Police, Rajesh Duggal, IPS. The verdict comes against the backdrop of persistent concerns over arms smuggling in the Faridabad–Palwal belt, where police have seized hundreds of illegal firearms over recent years. Authorities believe such convictions serve as a strong deterrent and reflect a tightening noose around organised gunrunning syndicates operating across State borders.