Nagpur, India: Licensed gun owners in the city must now surrender their firearms to the police, as the election code of conduct has come into effect for the upcoming Assembly elections.

In just 12 days, over 1,500 licensed firearms have been turned in, with more expected to be submitted in the coming days.

Nagpur has over 2,100 licensed firearm holders, including notable political leaders, builders, doctors, and traders from the Vidarbha region. These individuals primarily hold firearms for self-defense purposes.

The regulation requires private firearm license holders to turn in their weapons during election periods to prevent potential misuse and voter intimidation.

So far, around 1,500 people have complied by handing in their weapons to the Police Commissionerate, while local police stations continue to review other license holders.

In the past 10 days, 17 cases have been registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, resulting in the seizure of narcotics valued at Rs 5.54 lakh from the suspects.

Additionally, 251 cases were filed for illegal liquor sales, leading to action against 287 individuals. Police also seized country-made liquor valued at over Rs 6 lakh.