Beed cops initiate process to cancel gun license of Dhananjay Munde's supporter

Mumbai: Police have started the process to cancel the gun license of a Beed-based supporter of Maharashtra NCP minister Dhananjay Munde after a video surfaced wherein the former was seen firing in the air.

Notably, Munde has been facing backlash from allies and the opposition following the brutal murder of Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed district, last month.

Walmik Karad, an associate of Munde, has been arrested in an extortion case linked to the sarpanch's murder.

Kailas Phad, a resident of Parli in Beed, was arrested last month and booked under the Arms Act after his old video of brandishing a gun and opening fire in the air had gone viral on various social media platforms, an official said on Tuesday.

During the investigation, it came to light that the video was shot in 2023 during the Diwali festival in Parli, he said.

Recently, an activist posted online a photograph showing Phad along with Munde.

The official said the Beed police have sent proposals to the district collector to cancel the weapon licenses of Phad and two other persons.

The collector's nod is awaited, the official said.

A letter has also been sent to Phad, informing that the police have initiated the process of cancelling his weapon license, he said.

The worsening law and order situation in the central Maharashtra district came to the fore after the brutal murder of Deshmukh on December 9 and the related case of extortion.

Police were scrutinising all weapon licenses issued in Beed district and verifying in every case if the person has a legitimate need for a firearm, another official said.

After the review, the proposals to cancel the licenses were sent to the collector, he said.