The shop that operated as a bookstore during the day, and sold country-made pistols at night:

Read, Digital Desk : A significant syndicate involved in the manufacture and supply of improvised pistols was busted in Karnataka with thirteen individuals being arrested and nine country-made pistols seized, along with ammunition and firearm components. The firearm supply chain was in operation from the village of Katgali in the Khanapur taluka of the Belagavi district.

The primary accused has been identified as Maruti Sutar of Katgali. The police have indicated that Sutar began producing improvised firearms at his home in 2024. One such firearm was recovered from his residence while the other eight that had already been sold to customers in the Belagavi and Uttara Kannada districts were seized by authorities from different locations.

A murder case in 2024 led to the discovery

The illicit business was discovered during the course of the investigation into a murder case registered in Khanapur taluka in 2024. Following tracing of the weapon used to commit the crime, authorities discovered the presence of a substantial network dealing in firearms manufacture and sale.

Those apprehended include Maruti Sutar, Somnath Chougule, Santosh Naik, Maruti Gudadyagole, Balu Naik, Laxman Gujnal, Basavraj Salotagi, Baswant Yarmalkar, and Laxman Gurav. The investigators claim Mariyappa Naik, among those arrested, had provided the capital to forge the pistols, while Vishwanath Desai was responsible for the provision of the gun parts.

The bookseller provided the weapon parts

Desai is accused of being the owner of a bookstore in Joida in Uttara Kannada district and of supplying arms components and ammunition. Materials necessary to forge the weapons were also procured from the Khanjar Gali locality of Belagavi. Police say these materials were obtained from a gun store which was officially shut down in 2021.