Hyderabad: City top cop chairs meeting on threat of illegal firearms

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad City Police Commissioner C V Anand on Thursday chaired an interactive meeting at the auditorium of TSPICCC, flagging the serious threat of illicit weapons and their usage by some private security firms and their clientele including banks, cash management companies. During the meeting, the Commissioner emphasized the importance of a comprehensive and inclusive approach amongst all the stakeholders and to sensitise them about the prevailing norms. The representatives of Banks, Private security agencies, Cash management companies, RBI officials were apprised on the Arms License types, guidelines given by Ministry of Home Affairs with regard to arms handling

Since banks, cash-carrying companies, gold shops etc., deal with huge volumes of cash and other valuables, they were also informed about the standards that they should look into while hiring security guards through private security agencies and the RBI norms to be complied with regard to regard to physical security, transportation arrangements, staff deployment etc.,

Commissioner in his address sensitised the attendees on the dangerous implications of illicit weapons floating in society and urged them to function within the framework of Law. "Security guards, preferably ex-service men & armed forces, who are entrusted with the arms and ammunition for guarding the premises or property of the company should be enrolled as retainers in the arms license applied by the banks, cash-logistics industry and cautioned that they should not hire armed security guards through any third party agency," said Anand.

Businesses have to function as per rules and Law of the Land. He stressed while appealing the banks, CMS companies to apply for arms licenses and assured them that the city police will issue the licenses and carry out antecedent verification of the proposed armed guards in the shortest time possible.

With all stakeholders agreeing to comply with norms, the city police has fixed a two month timeline and urged all the stakeholders to expedite the formal process of procuring arms licenses, retainers licenses, purchase of weapons, training of guards in collaboration with ISW and their deployment to the required areas. Easing the application process for arms license, the city police also shared the list of documents to be submitted along with the application.