MORENA (MP), JAN 8: As many as 40 families of the Sikligar caste, settled in Khargone, Ratlam, Dhar and Khandwa districts of Madhya Pradesh, are engaged in manufacturing illicit weapons, having given up their traditional occupation of making locks and keys.Weapons manufactured by them are being sent to Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.Disclosing this to UNI here, district Additional Superintendent of Police K P Vankateshwar Rao said two members of the community, Sultan and Gajanan Punjabi (both of Singun village in Khargone), were arrested along with their three agents on December 24 and a large quantity of illegal weapons recovered from them.On interrogation, the duo told police that allured by heavy profits, their community had started manufacturing illegal weapons and given up their traditional business. A family can make a pistol or revolver in a day, he said adding that a pistol is sold for Rs 800 while a revolver fetches upto Rs 1,000.They said they had their agents in severalneighbouring states who took an advance from customers before delivering weapons. Rao said illicit arms were manufactured by Sikligar families in jungles.He said the police had recovered some raw material used for manufacturing weapons after they raided Singun village.
