Sri Rama Sena's illegal firearms training: Police register FIR

Bengaluru: Over the incident of members of the right-wing Hindu group Sri Rama Sene running a firearms training camp for five days at a temple in Karnataka’s Bagalkot district, state police registered an FIR against 27 people on Friday. The case, which was registered only five days later, was based on a complaint by Ningappa Shivappa Hugar, who accused the group of trespassing on the temple land owned by him and his brother, Hindustan Times reported.

Bagalkot Superintendent of Police (SP) Y Amarnath Reddy said that an investigation was underway, and action was taken following the complaint by the landowner. They are probing whether the guns used in the event were firearms or airguns, and a report on the same is awaited.

Police booked the accused, charging section 329 (criminal trespass) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and section 30 of the Arms Act, which pertains to the violation of arms license conditions.

The complaint by the landowner stated that Sri Rama Sena activists entered the land illegally without permission and conducted firearms training and target practice. There were photos on social media featuring the event, stoking fear among the public.

A police officer said that the illegal firing camp was held from December 25 to 29, and gun training was carried out on the final day. Around 186 youths participated in the event with firearms training, lathi handling and other activities, as per the Hindu group.

Meanwhile, Sri Rama Sene founder Pramod Mutalik defended the illegal camp, claiming that an airgun was used for training and that the event is held annually. The training is carried out to “promote values of nationalism and patriotism among the youth,” Mutalik claimed.