Pimpri Chinchwad Police Cancel 15 Arms Licences, Reject 68 Fresh Applications
Pimpri Chinchwad Police Cancel 15 Arms Licences, Reject 68 Fresh Applications
Pune/Pimpri Chinchwad, June 16, 2026: In a major crackdown on the misuse of licensed firearms, Pimpri Chinchwad Police Commissioner Vinay Kumar Choubey has cancelled the arms licences of 15 individuals, including five licence holders found guilty of weapon misuse and involved in various criminal cases. The police have also rejected 68 applications for new arms licences following stricter scrutiny of applicants.
According to police officials, arms licences of Mayur Kaluram Bhoir (30, Hinjawadi), Subhash Bhikaji Sapkal (70, Navi Sangvi), Vijay Namdev Lande (48, Bhosari), Sahil Rajendra Dhamale (32, Dehugaon), and Shantaram Dattatraya Chavan (41, Ambethan) were revoked after investigations revealed misuse of licensed weapons and involvement in other criminal offences.
Apart from these five cases, licences of two individuals who failed to purchase firearms within the stipulated period after receiving approval were also cancelled. Additionally, licences of eight holders were revoked due to old age or death, taking the total number of cancelled arms licences to 15.
The Police Commissioner’s office also reviewed applications seeking fresh arms licences. Out of the applications received, 68 applicants were denied licences after preliminary inquiries found that they lacked sufficient grounds or justification for possessing firearms.
Police officials said the arms licensing process has been made more stringent following instances where criminals allegedly obtained licences through questionable means. Authorities cited the Vaishnavi Hagawane dowry death case, in which an accused had secured an arms licence and allegedly used the weapon to intimidate others. In another case, several individuals in Pune were found to have obtained arms licences using fake addresses.
In light of such incidents, the Pimpri Chinchwad Police have adopted a stricter policy for granting arms licences, with greater emphasis on background verification and scrutiny of applicants.
