Bhopal Crime Branch busts a 40-year-old 'katta' and pistol making ring run by three generations of a family. Arms seized; prime accused arrested.
Arms Network Uncovered: The Bhopal Crime Branch has dismantled an illegal arms manufacturing ring run by three generations of a single family. Police have arrested the prime accused, Narendra Parmar. Interrogations revealed that the family had been running the illicit gun-running business for 40 years. Additional DCP Shailendra Singh stated that acting on a tip-off about individuals in the Nishatpura area involved in vehicle theft and illegal arms trade, a police team raided the location and detained three suspects.
One of the suspects, Mukhtar Khan, a resident of Karond, confessed during interrogation that he had purchased a pistol for ₹32,000 from Surendra Vishwakarma, a resident of Tikamgarh. Acting on this lead, the police raided Tikamgarh and discovered that Surendra, originally a resident of Chanderi, was running an illegal arms manufacturing unit.
During the raid, police seized one country-made pistol, three semi-finished pistols, live cartridges, magazines, iron frames, springs, and triggers, alongside heavy machinery and a large cache of raw materials.
According to the police, the accused Surendra’s father, Anandi Vishwakarma, started manufacturing weapons nearly 40 years ago under the guise of making agricultural equipment. He later roped in his sons and grandsons to keep the operation completely confidential within the family.
The investigation uncovered two illegal factories: one operating directly out of Surendra’s house, and another inside a warehouse located amid fields in the Ramgarh area of Tikamgarh. The units utilised lathe machines, welding equipment, and other specialised tools to manufacture pistols and country-made guns (kattas).
Investigating officers revealed that whenever Madhya Pradesh police intensified crackdowns, the gang shifted its supply focus to various districts in Uttar Pradesh. The core smuggling network involved Narendra Singh Parmar, Surendra Vishwakarma, Saif Ali alias Rinku, Mumtaz Ali, and Anandi Vishwakarma, among others. A manhunt is underway to arrest the remaining suspects who are currently on the run.