1 held for manufacturing, supplying illegal firearms in Delhi

Delhi Police on Wednesday arrested a man for allegedly manufacturing and supplying illegal firearms to criminals in Delhi and adjoining areas, officials said.

The accused, identified as Yogesh, is a resident of Baba Colony, Aligarh, and had a reward of Rs 1 lakh on his head, they said. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) P S Kushwah said the arrest was made after information was received that the accused would come to deliver a consignment to the criminals near Signature Bridge.

"At about 5 am, when accused Yogesh came with consignment for delivery, he was challenged and asked to surrender. On seeing the police party, he whipped out his pistol and opened fire on police team. Police team also retaliated with caution and after warning, fired one round," he said.

Yogesh fired two rounds on the police team, but they escaped unhurt. The accused, however, got hit in his right leg and he fell on the road and his pistol slipped from his hand, the officer added.

Yogesh was rushed to Jag Pravesh Hospital and his condition is stable, the DCP said.

Sixteen illegal pistols, 56 live cartridges, two fired empty cartridges and one stolen motorcycle was recovered from Yogesh, he said.

During interrogation, it was revealed that Yogesh has been manufacturing pistols of various bores and sizes from last 20 years. He sold firearms to the criminals in NCR region, UP and MP, but his illegal trade was badly hit by the lockdown and suffered a huge loss, the officer said.

Yogesh told police that after the recent relaxation in the COVID-19 lockdown, demand for weapons by criminals in Delhi-NCR had increased, the DCP said. The accused used to sell semiautomatic pistols at the rate of Rs 15 to 20 thousand a piece and a single shot pistol for three to four thousand, police said.