Retired govt. officer seeks exemption from depositing his licensed pistol

Retired official seeks exemption from depositing licensed pistol during elections due to past election-related work and safety concerns.

A.J.A. Jeyasingh Gnanadurai, retired Joint Director of Agriculture, has knocked at the doors of Chief Electoral Officer, Tamil Nadu, seeking exemption from depositing his licensed pistol in the run-up to Lok Sabha election.

All the holders of licensed firearms have been asked to deposit their weapons to the local police station as per the code of election.

The district administration had posted him as Nodal Officer for implementation of Model Code of Conduct for Madurai West Assembly constituency during the general election to State Assembly in 2011.

Mr. Jeyasingh was involved in seizure of large-scale cash, gifts, tokens and liquor bottles, the then Collector U. Sahayam said in the order issued for Mr. Jeyasingh’s gun licence.

The former Collector had also mentioned that 25 poll-related cases registered under seven police stations in Madurai were being heard following the action taken by Mr. Jeyasingh during the election campaign. The gun licence was a measure of self-protection.

Since then Mr. Jeyasingh had appeared before various courts for hearings in the last 13 years.

“Every time, there is an election to the Parliament, Assembly or local bodies, I am asked to deposit the gun,” Mr. Jeyasingh said. He had been seeking exemption from depositing the pistol, which he had bought for ₹₹1 lakh, every time.