Two Shootouts Show Easy Availability of Firearms

Hyderabad: The twin incidents of political leaders being shot dead within 12 hours — from Monday evening to Tuesday morning — highlight the ease with which firearms could be procured from states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and used in Hyderabad.

A senior officer, who previously worked with the Hyderabad Task Force and the Rachakonda SOT, said that until 2015, several cases were booked under the Arms Act.

“Back then, gang wars were more frequent, and naturally, weapon-related cases were also high, being registered under multiple sections like voluntarily causing hurt, murder, or attempt to murder, along with the Arms Act. Over time, as gang rivalries declined, the number of Arms Act cases also came down due to increased surveillance. Even if weapons entered the city, we would receive tip-offs from our credible sources and act on them.”

According to the officer, gangs and accused persons from Telangana hire contract killers in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, where illegal gun manufacturing operates almost like a small-scale industry.

“In those states, gun-making is run almost like a small-scale industry,” he said, referring to easily available weapons like tapanchas and country-made pistols, some of which can be bought for as little as Rs10,000.

The former Task Force officer also explained the supply chain. He said there are multiple ways in which these weapons are procured. “In some cases, the accused themselves travel to the northern states and procure the weapons directly. In other cases, the supplier sends them through a lorry driver or cleaner to a contact in Hyderabad. Since these are not bulk consignments, they usually go undetected. Additionally, some individuals procure weapons via trains and sell them locally to make easy, illegal money,” he said.

A senior official from the prisons department, responding to allegations that jails are becoming hubs for accused persons to form criminal networks, remarked with a chuckle that such assumptions are merely part of a blame game and do not reflect the full picture.

“When an accused is first lodged in jail, their immediate concern is usually their bail — how to get out — not how to plan another crime. While there is always the possibility of interaction, it is not practical to monitor every conversation,” the official said.

The officer also stated that barrack allocations are structured: first-time offenders, repeat offenders, those booked under the NDPS Act, Maoist or Naxal-related cases, and those involved in grave offences like dacoity or murder are housed separately based on their profiles. “For instance, if there are 10 people booked for dacoity, at least three may end up in the same barrack. But that does not mean they are sharing crime strategies,” he noted.

“It’s convenient to pin the blame on jails, but let’s not forget: people come to jail as punishment, not for punishment,” he added. “This is a correctional facility. We do not run surveillance with body-worn cameras or eavesdrop on phone calls unless there is specific intelligence.”