KATHMANDU, JAN 25 - Small arms are posing a big threat to public security. Kathmandu has witnessed some high-profile incidents in recent times.

“Small arms have wreaked havoc in the security of the Kathmandu Valley,” said Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Madan Bahadur Khadka on Sunday, discussing the Capital’s current security situation.

This week alone, the Capital witnessed at least three small arms-related crimes.

On Sunday, masked shooters fired at jeweller Prakash Rajbhandari in New Road with the intention to loot. Rajbhandari and his wife, who were getting out of the car, escaped unhurt, while the assailants fled on a motorcycle.

In Wednesday’s shooting in Gothatar, 10-year-old Santosh Karki lost his life, while three were injured.

On Saturday night, armed men barged into a Gairidhara-based house, took the family at gunpoint and demanded over Rs. 10 million. Police came to the family’s rescue minutes later and managed to nab three of the armed gang. 

Investigators say small arms are available at Rs. 15,000 to 25,000 in the local market. With arms comes power and even petty criminals dare shoot at police personnel. 

On Jan. 4, robbers fleeing after looting Rs. 1.7 million from a finance company grabbed a policeman’s pistol and fired at police personnel.

Police say Wednesday’s Gothatar shooting shows how gangs stand ready to open fire on the public over a minor dispute. They have a point: Investigations have indicated that hitmen hired by sons of a construction contractor—Ratna Lama—had resorted to the crime for Rs. 25,000.

Ratna, a Kavre-based political adviser to the UCPN (Maoist), is on the run along with his three sons.

Afer busting an arms racket with three pistols and 36 rounds of ammunition in the Capital a few months ago, police came to know that some political leaders and cadre of youth wings are arms dealers’ clients. The arrested racketeers, including Indian national Sanjay Raut, reportedly spelt out the names of leaders and cadre with whom they were close to sealing a deal. Police have kept the leaders’ names under wraps.

Some busts indicate that the Capital has been a market for small arms dealers. On March 17, police busted a gang with sophisticated weapons, including two short machine guns, one silencer pistol and three branded pistols. The gang was found to be supplying arms to Nepal from India for the last five years. The arrested were reportedly henchmen of India’s underworld don Chhota Rajan.

Records show police confiscated over 22 small arms in the Capital in the last six months, while the last fiscal year saw seizure of 59 small

arms.

And as always, police have a plan to curb these crimes. “Police will start massive search operations and step up vigilance to curb crimes related to small arms,” said Commissioner Khadka.

But there’s no dearth of police officers, who feel plans to tackle crime will remain on paper if the government fails to hire more police personnel and provide logistics.  

 

Posted on: 2010-01-31 12:38

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