IMPHAL, October 27: The District Magistrate, Imphal East district, has issued an order temporary suspending and impounding all licensed firearms from license holder under the jurisdiction of Imphal East to ensure peaceful and successful conduct of by-election of the 5-Thongju Assembly Constituency scheduled to be held on October
The order asked all concerned police officers to make fool proof arrangements for keeping the deposited firearms in safe custody, proper receipt must be given to the license holder depositing the firearms adding that the firearms shall be returned to the license holder after one week after the declaration of election results.
It further said that the order shall not apply to members of the National Rifles Association who have to participate in various sporting events in which they require their rifles, communities who are entitled to display weapons by long standing law, custom and usage of subject to the condition that they shall not indulge in violence or posing threat to the maintenance of law and order, and peaceful conduct of bye-election.
Any person who desires to appeal against the order, it invited to submit written justification for retaining his/her licensed firearms to the District Magistrate on or before October 13.