2 illegal arms factories unearthed in Mathura ahead of panchayat polls, 2 held

Ahead of panchayat polls in the state, the Uttar Pradesh Police has unearthed two illegal arms factories here and arrested their owners, officials said on Saturday.

The factories were being run a father–son duo, residents of Jarela village under Barsana Police Station, but they had set up the illegal units in a forested area in nearby Hathia village to avoid getting caught by police, they said.

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“Acting on a tip off, the police team raided the factories and arrested the duo,” Superintendent of Police (Rural) Shrish Chandra told reporters.

Guns, pistols, cartridges and instruments used to prepare illegal arms were seized from the factories, officials said.

A hunt has been launched to catch others involved in the racket, they said.

The panchayat elections will be held across Uttar Pradesh in four phases on April 15, 19, 26 and 29. Counting of votes will be done on May 2.