Jammu: Police in Kishtwar have lodged a case against fugitive radical preacher Amritpal Singh’s bodyguard Varinder Singh alias Fouji of Taran Taran, Punjab for illegally obtaining and renewing arms license.
A case under FIR No 52 of 2023 under Section 3/25 and 30-I-A and Section 465, 471, and 474 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) had been registered against Virendra Singh at Police Station Kishtwar following direction from the District Magistrate, Kishtwar.
“The gun license of Varinder Singh was issued from the office of District Magistrate, Kishtwar in the year 2014 and we got to know about it following information shared by Punjab Police,” SSP Kishtwar, Khalil Poswal told Greater Kashmir.
He said that they had registered an FIR after directions from the District Magistrate Kishtwar as his gun license had already been cancelled when they got to know about his illegal activity in Punjab.
“Now, we will investigate how he got the gun license even as his unit - 19 Sikh Regiment was somewhere in Amritsar, Punjab but not in J&K and how the gun license was renewed repeatedly from various districts of J&K,” Poswal said. “The accused might have used fake documents to obtain a gun license and its renewal of the license.”
He said Varinder Singh was in Army’s 19 Sikh Regiment and his regiment was in Amritsar, Punjab, in 2015 and he was terminated from the service.
“After obtaining the gun license from Kishtwar, he misused it. Surprisingly, his gun license was renewed from five to six places without service certificates,” Poswal said.
Police in Kishtwar conveyed this to Punjab Police and it is likely that they would seek his custody for investigation purposes.
The license has been allegedly renewed from Ramban, Poonch, Reasi, Baramulla, and Kathua and it was valid till 2025.
However, the District Magistrate Kishtwar has cancelled it.
Poswal said that Police has initiated investigation as to how the gun license was issued from Kishtwar and how it had been renewed from different districts without service certificates.
“After ascertaining the facts, we will write to the districts for the registration of FIRs in their respective districts where the said arms license had been renewed,” he said.
Meanwhile, another personal security guard has got a gun license from another district of Chenab Valley.
