Ludhiana: In a sweeping crackdown on rising gun violence, the district police have moved to suspend 200 firearm licences as authorities scramble to disarm individuals with criminal backgrounds.The directive, issued by police commissioner Swapan Sharma, follows a string of high-profile shootings in which legally owned weapons were used to settle personal and political scores. The list of those facing suspension includes residents currently under criminal investigation, non-resident Indians (NRIs) who have renounced their Indian citizenship, and “social media show-offs” who flaunt weapons online.Commissioner Sharma said: “We are determined to curb gun crime. While we continue to recover illegal arms from notorious criminals, we are now cracking down on licensed holders who pose a threat to public order.” The police department’s licensing unit has been ordered to conduct rolling audits every few months to ensure that weapons do not remain in the hands of those with pending FIRs.Authorities confirmed that the “glamorization” of weapons on platforms like Instagram and Facebook is also being monitored. Licenses are being canceled for anyone found “flaunting” guns in a manner that promotes violence or intimidation.The Trigger PointsThe crackdown follows two major incidents where licensed firearms turned a city street and a village square into a war zone. On Jan 27, a student, Rajveer Singh, 24, was shot during a financial dispute. Police discovered that the accused, professional shooter Jugaad Singh Sekhon, had allegedly used his 7.6 mm licensed pistol to commit the murder. On Dec 18, 2025, a violent clash between AAP and Congress workers in Jasdev Nagar saw a .45-bore licensed gun used by former Congress Sarpanch Jasveer Singh. Viral footage showed him firing multiple shots at political rivals.
