LAGATAR24 NETWORK
Jamshedpur, May 3: There are several men having a little funny bent of mind who will grab any sophisticated pistol that takes their fancy.
Our state health minister, Banna Gupta, seems to be one of them.
Banna has a Glock 44 pistol which has now become a bone of contention among a certain political circle here in the state, especially in the steel city.
For anyone an apparently toy like Glock 44 or G44 pistol may be a matter of attraction. Hence it is no wonder if our influential health minister fell to this attractive firearm.
But the G44 pistol is not a toy despite being petitely attractive.
The polymer-framed, short-coiled operated, lock-breech semi-automatic G44 is designed and produced by Austrian manufacturer Glock Ges m.b.h.
It is an amazingly light-weight pistol and has an effective firing range of 50 meters.
Though originally produced in Austria, the Glock Ges m.b.h eventually started manufacturing this handgun in as many as 70 countries, including India.
In India, G44 is being produced in Chennai after a tie up with the Tamil Nadu government since March 2021.
Initially, the G44 pistols were available in gun stores for sale, but following a decision by the Union Home Ministry, the sale of this firearms was declared as prohibited for the civilians through a notification made on January 27, 2023.
Not only was the pistol in question prohibited in the public domain, but the Union Home Ministry had also directed the administration of all the states and Union Territories to make the owners of this gun to submit either in the state armoury or with the local police station, the reason behind the move behind being it should be used by the military or police department only.
Ironically, had this prohibited G44 pistol been found in possession of a common man, he would have landed in a jail so far. Or ha would have voluntarily surrendered in the local police station.
However, the Jamshedpur district administration has not bothered to look into it so far despite the fact the issue has been hogging the limelight for a week now.
Independent MLA Saryu Roy has brought it to the notice of Governor C P Radhakrishnan also, but it has failed to move the minister as well as the district administration.
