Pune Police to Reassess All Gun Licences: CM Fadnavis
Pune, 31st May 2025: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday announced that all firearm licences issued by the Pune police will undergo a comprehensive review. The statement comes amid scrutiny over the issuance of gun permits to individuals recently arrested in connection with the alleged dowry death of 24-year-old Vaishnavi Hagawane.
The Pune police have already revoked firearm licences issued in November 2022 to Shashank and Sushil Hagawane, key accused in the case. Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar confirmed the cancellation, citing violations of licence conditions. “We found a breach of the terms under which the licences were granted. Similar action will be taken against another accused, Nilesh Chavan, following due procedure,” Kumar said.
Vaishnavi, daughter-in-law of former NCP member Rajendra Hagawane, was found dead in her home in Bhukum on May 16. Her death has been categorized as a suspected suicide, allegedly prompted by sustained domestic harassment. Six members of her marital family, including her husband, brother-in-law, in-laws, and sister-in-law, have been arrested.
In light of the controversy, two separate FIRs were filed on Thursday at Warje and Kothrud police stations against Shashank and Sushil Hagawane for allegedly using misleading residential information to secure firearm licences. These developments have brought the spotlight on the role of senior police officials involved in processing these applications.
Among those facing scrutiny is Jalindar Supekar, then Additional Commissioner of Police (Administration) in Pune and currently posted as Special Inspector General (Prisons). Supekar has now been transferred to the Home Guards. Responding to the allegations, Supekar stated, “I merely signed off on the licences after they had been cleared through proper channels. The final decision rested with the then Commissioner of Police.”
That Commissioner, Amitabh Gupta — now serving with the Indo-Tibetan Border Police in Arunachal Pradesh — also defended the process. “The decision was made based on recommendations received from field officers, including the zonal DCP and the local police station. I acted as per established protocols,” Gupta said.
When asked about the licence approvals, current Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar refrained from commenting on the decisions made by his predecessor. “It was a subjective call taken at that time. I don’t wish to speculate,” he said.
DCP (Zone III) Sambhaji Kadam provided a timeline for the licence issuances: “Nilesh Chavan received his firearm licence on January 1, 2022. Sushil and Shashank Hagawane were granted theirs on November 1 and November 22, respectively, all on grounds of self-protection. These cases are now under detailed review following the registration of cheating cases.”
Supekar, whose name has been linked to the Hagawane family, addressed allegations of influence in the investigation. “The Hagawanes are distant relatives on my father’s side, but I have no involvement in the case or its investigation. Claims that I could interfere with the jail proceedings are baseless,” he asserted. He also clarified that he no longer holds operational responsibilities in the prison system, as the Home Department recently relieved him of additional duties as DIG (Prisons) for Pune, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, and Nagpur regions.
Fadnavis emphasized that strict action would follow any findings of misconduct in the gun licence process. “Every licence issued by Pune police will be reassessed. If we discover any irregularities or forged documentation, the licences will be annulled,” he said, underlining the government’s commitment to accountability.
As the investigation into Vaishnavi’s death progresses, the spotlight remains fixed on the systems meant to regulate arms licensing — and whether those systems were misused by individuals with influence and connections.
