BENGALURU: With hundreds of firearm licences in Karnataka set to expire by December-end, gun owners are facing a crisis. The official online portal for renewal of arms licences has been non-functional for several days, forcing many to risk confiscation of their legally held weapons, and other penalties.
Under the Arms Act, licences issued for self-defence must be renewed every four years. Failure to renew before the expiry date -- typically falling in December for a large batch -- can lead to seizure of firearms, fines, and potential criminal proceedings.
Former Karnataka State Pollution Control Board Chairman Dr KS Sharath Chandra, himself a licence holder, has been trying to get the authorities to act. “I have written multiple letters -- to Bangalore City Police, DCP (Administration), Police Commissioner, and even Director General and Inspector General of Police -- but there has been no response or action,” Dr Chandra told TNIE on Wednesday.
“Physical applications are no longer accepted. The department has made online renewal mandatory, but the website itself is down. I have called to remind them, I have also written letters. How are citizens expected to comply?” he said.
Senior citizen and licence holder Manjunath R said the portal was inaccessible for many days last year too. “I must have tried about 20 times over a period of four days,” he said.
Joint Commissioner of Police Kuldeep Jain said the matter would be attended to in one or two days. Sources in the licensing branch confirmed that the website armslic.ksp.gov.in has been showing errors since mid-November, with no official intimation about when it will be restored. As the December 31 deadline looms, there are concerns about procedural issues and whether physical submissions might eventually be allowed.