Gun licences suspended during MP polls

Bhopal, Oct 17: The district administration has suspended all gun licences and asked the licensees to deposit their weapons at nearby police stations or with arms dealers in order to ensure free and fair elections and to maintain law and order during the Assembly poll.

The restrictions will not be applicable to serving and retired employees and officers of the Central and state governments, officers and employees of central and state public sector undertakings and bank guards, District Collector Manish Rastogi said in a notification.

The gun licensees have been asked to deposit their weapons by October 25. The restrictions will remain in force till one week after the announcement of election results i e till December 16 after which the they could take back their weapons without formal orders.

The arms dealers, with whom weapons were deposited, would furnish such a list of licensees to the nearest police station, which will keep a record of all weapons.

Polling in Madhya Pradesh is scheduled on November 25 and counting of votes will take place on December 8.

UNI