Kathmandu, June 26

Licensed firearm holders in Kathmandu valley are under police surveillance after some of them were found misusing the weapons and unleashing terror in society.

Metropolitan Police Crime Division yesterday confiscated two 12-bore shotguns, four 22-bore rifles and 136 bullets in possession of Mahesh Bahadur Singh after District Administration Office cancelled his licence on the recommendation of MPCD.

Singh of Makwanpur and currently residing in Bhanimandal of Lalitpur had allegedly been terrorising people. He lent money by charging exorbitant interest rate and threatened the borrowers by showing off the licensed guns, police said.

Last week, DAO Kathmandu had revoked the licence issued to four persons. The licences were cancelled on the basis of

a criminal investigation report submitted to the DAOs by MPCD.

The persons whose gun licence were cancelled include BirendralalShrestha and BalaramSapkota aka Bale of Kavre, AungKaji Sherpa of Kerung-1, Solukhumbu, and RaghunathPuri of Morang.

MPCD said it requested the DAOs to revoke their licence as they were found to be violating the terms of conditions mentioned in Section 10 of the Arms and Ammunition Act and misusing the firearms.

Officials said all licence holders were under surveillance and their firearms would be confiscated if they were found using the guns in contravention of the existing law.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has also directed MPCD to write to the concerned DAOs for cancellation of licence of any one involved in terrorising the people. According to the MoHA, its has issued nearly 35,000 gun licences to various persons and organisations through DAOs.

Kathmandu DAO alone has issued licenses for 13,390 firearms. Nearly half of the licence holders own up to three firearms. Similarly, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur DAOs have issued 1,198 and 50 licences respectively.