‘Why gun licence for Rahman?’

A day after YSRCP minority cell convener  H A Rahman opened fire in air with his licensed .32 revolver, the Banjara Hills police on Saturday wrote a letter to the Hyderabad police commissioner Anurag Sharma suggesting cancellation of his weapon's. Sources told Express that the police officials present when Rahman opened fire yesterday viewed the matter seriously saying it was clear case of misuse of weapon. Rahman had opened five rounds of fire in air  as part of victory celebrations of YSRCP in the byelections on Friday. Banjara Hills Police wrote a two-page letter to the police commissioner mentioning all details about the previous criminal cases involving Rahman. In the letter, police stated that Rahman had misused a weapon by opening fire into air. Soon after the incident on Friday, the police seized .32 revolver from him. Meanwhile, sources said that Rahman has two more weapons -- a .32 and the double barrel breach loading (DBBL) gun. Rahman obtained license for both the weapons. ‘‘Rahman is not a public representative. He has no threat from anyone. Why should he have a license in the first place ?  He is misusing the weapon, '' a police official said. Police also have info  that Rahman had reportedly threatened few realtors during land settlements . HA Rahman perhaps thought, that he would give a ‘gun salute’ in honour of ‘Anna’ who swept the byelections on Friday. But his act, which was approved by many surrounding him, did not go down well with the men in khaki. On June 15, celebrating YSR Congress party’s thumping win in the byelections led the party’s minority cell convener Rahman to open five rounds of fire in the air with his revolver, all as part of celebrations. Minutes later, he was arrested and sent to judicial remand while Rahman’s act -- something quite common in Samajwadi party ruled Uttar Pradesh -- left the YSR Congress party embarassed.Soon after arresting Rahman, the police seized his 32 revolver sent him to judicial remand. According to police, during the victory celebrations, a few workers started shaking their legs amidst drum sounds at the party office on Friday. As the celebrations reached its peak, an over enthusiastic Rahman took out his revolver and opened five rounds of fire in the air amid cheering from his workers. Banjara Hills ACP E Shanker Reddy who rushed to the spot took Rahman into custody. The party workers, however, resisted the police and the policemen had a tough time in controlling them. Later, he was shifted to Jubilee Hills police station. Police booked a case against Rahman under 27 Arms Act.  He was produced before the court and sent to judicial remand for 14 days. However, Rahman claimed that, when he was taking out the revolver from his pocket it got misfired. Meanwhile, an embarrassed YSR Congress party slapped a show-cause notice on Rahman for his disorderly behaviour on the party office premises. “We have issued a showcause notice to Rahman and asked him to reply as to why action should not be taken for the way he conducted himself at the party office,” party general secretary Bajireddy Goverdhan said.

Mouli Mareedu

moulimareedu@gmail.com