Jhajjar (Haryana), November 3: Haryana Police's Special Task Force (STF), Rohtak, recovered 25,000 live cartridges from two cars at Rohad in Jhajjar district on Tuesday morning and arrested five people, the STF said in a press note. The team acted on an input received from the Bihar STF that a large consignment of cartridges was being moved for supply.
Source: Right News (STF Haryana press note)
According to the STF, the team searched two Uttar Pradesh-registered cars — a Tata Harrier and a Hyundai Aura — parked by the roadside in front of Triveni Dhaba near the Rohad toll on the Delhi–Rohtak National Highway, in the Bahadurgarh area of Jhajjar. The Harrier, carrying three people, held 24,400 live cartridges of KF 7.65 and BMM KF bore, while the Aura, carrying two people, held 600 cartridges marked BMM KF. Eight mobile phones were also seized, the STF press note said.
Source: Haryana Standard
Police identified the arrested accused as Afifuddin alias Munna Khan (49), Aasim Rais (33), Sablou Khan (32), Arbaz Ali (27) and Zeenat (33), all residents of Badaun district in Uttar Pradesh. Police said the accused could not produce any valid licence or documents for the cartridges. An FIR was registered on November 3 at Asaudha police station in Jhajjar under Sections 25(1-B)(a) and 25(8) of the Arms Act.
Source: Haryana Standard
Sirsa link alleged, Bhojpur seizure a day earlier
According to preliminary investigation reported by police, Afifuddin alias Munna Khan runs Badaun Gun House in the Civil Lines police station area of Badaun. Police said he had travelled to Sirsa in Haryana, where he allegedly obtained the consignment from Vijay Goyal of Mehak Gun House; this account is a police allegation and is yet to be tested in court. The consignment was allegedly meant for delivery in Uttar Pradesh, according to reports citing the STF.
Source: Right News (STF Haryana press note)
The Jhajjar action followed a linked seizure in Bihar a day earlier. On Monday, November 2, a joint team of Bihar Police and the STF arrested three alleged smugglers — Saras Kumar, Laltu Kumar and Chandan Tiwari — near Manbhawan Mor under the Koilwar police station area of Bhojpur district and recovered over 19,000 rounds of 7.65 mm ammunition and a loaded pistol from their Tata Safari, IANS reported. Police there said the ammunition had allegedly been brought from western Uttar Pradesh for distribution in north Bihar.
Source: IANS via India Tribune
Taken together, the two operations account for roughly 44,000–45,000 cartridges seized in two days across Bihar and Haryana. Police said the Haryana STF is working with the Bihar STF and Uttar Pradesh Police to trace the actual source of the cartridges, how they were moved and who they were meant for. The investigation is under way, and the arrested accused are entitled to the presumption of innocence until a court decides otherwise.
Source: Haryana Standard