Bhubaneswar: In what could possibly expose the modus operandi of the illegal firearms trade, Commissionerate Police on Monday busted an illegal gun manufacturing unit that was operating from a government quarters in Bhubaneswar. The factory was busted following an explosion inside the unit yesterday.
Police sources said the gun manufacturing unit was being run by one Nrusingha Nayak, who works as a supervisor at OUAT. According to reports, Nayak had taken a quarters on rent inside Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) to operate the illegal firearms factory, though he has a separate quarters allotted to him where he stays with his family. Three half-made pistols, gunpowder and other articles used in gun making have been seized from Nayak’s quarter, sources said. Meanwhile, Nayak's family members informed that he had brought a gun and later learnt to manufacture firearms by reverse engineering the weapon. It was only for the past three-four months that he had started making guns at the rented accommodation, said Nayak’s wife. On the other hand, senior police officials have started a probe to ascertain from where Nayak used to procure raw materials and other articles to make firearms and to whom he used to supply the weapons. “We got information at around 8:30 PM yesterday and raided the spot. We have recovered three half-made revolvers, gunpowder and other explosive materials,” said Twin city Police Commissioner Satyajit Mohanty. Mohanty further informed that the 45-year-old accused has claimed that he used to make guns for his own safety owing to some past rivalry. However, a detailed probe will be initiated in connection with the incident, he added.