Youth held in Bhopal for selling Carbide guns:42 units, 29 lighters along with 1.5 kg calcium seized; top cop issues orders to ban such articles

Bhopal’s Bag Sewaniya police collared a man on Wednesday for allegedly selling carbide guns on the roadside, the police reported on Thursday. Acting on the orders of the city’s Police Commissioner Harinarayanachari Mishra, the cops seized 42 units of carbide guns, 29 lighters, and 1.5 kilograms of calcium carbide from the possession of the accused. A case has been registered against the man under relevant sections of the law. The police said that such carbide guns have caused several fire-related accidents in the city, resulting in serious burn injuries to citizens. Action comes during surprise inspection near Mandap garden Assistant Sub-inspector (ASI) posted at Bag Sewaniya police station, Manoj Sharma told Bhaskar English that on Wednesday, a team from the Bag Sewaniya police station was carrying out inspections of firecracker vendors as part of Diwali safety checks. During the operation, the team noticed a man selling fireworks near Pradhan Mandap Garden, who appeared suspicious and tried to evade the police. Upon checking the sack he was carrying, the police personnel discovered 42 handmade carbide guns, 29 lighters, and 1.5 kg of calcium carbide, a chemical compound used to ignite the guns by producing flammable gas when mixed with water. Accused a resident of Bhopal’s Kolar area During interrogation, the arrested man identified himself as Bhaiyyu Chauhan (25), a resident of Kolar area in Bhopal. He confessed that carbide guns were being illegally manufactured in slum areas of Kolar, though he failed to provide specific locations and allegedly misled the police during questioning. The accused also claimed that he had purchased some of the guns from roadside sellers and was reselling them at higher prices for profit. Police believe he may be linked to a larger local network involved in the production and illegal sale of carbide guns. Police Commissioner orders crackdown against sale of carbide guns Following the incident, Police Commissioner Mishra instructed all station house officers (SHOs) across Bhopal to launch a citywide crackdown on illegal sellers and manufacturers of carbide guns. He emphasised that such weapons pose a serious threat to public safety, especially during festive seasons. The seized materials have been sent for forensic examination, and efforts are underway to identify and arrest other individuals involved in the racket.