Man arrested with pistol, 17 live cartridges worth Rs 2 lakh in Latur

Latur, Aug 27 (PTI) Police have arrested a 36-year-old man for illegally possessing a country-made pistol and 17 live cartridges, collectively worth nearly Rs 2 lakh, in Latur district of Maharashtra, officials said on Wednesday.

The accused, arrested on Tuesday, was identified as Alok Vishwanath Chaudhary, a resident of Ambajogai Road in Latur district, they said.

According to the officials, ahead of the festive season, Superintendent of Police Amol Tambe had instructed police personnel to take action against people with criminal antecedents, those carrying illegal weapons and individuals involved in violent crimes.

Acting on the directive, a team from Vivekanand Chowk police station's Crime Detection Branch was patrolling a street when they received a tip-off, they said.

Acting on the tip-off, police laid a trap and intercepted a man waiting with a scooter. On inspection, a country-made pistol and 17 live cartridges were found hidden in the vehicle's storage compartment, the officials said.

On questioning, the man, later identified as Chaudhary, failed to produce a licence for the weapon, they said.

The police seized the pistol and cartridges, collectively value at Rs 1,93,500, and registered an offence at the Vivekanand Chowk police station against the man, according to the officials. PTI COR RSY