Beed police move to cancel gun license of Dhananjay Munde supporter after firing video

The Beed police have initiated proceedings to revoke the gun license of Kailas Phad, a supporter of Maharashtra NCP minister Dhananjay Munde, after a video emerged showing Phad firing a gun into the air. This comes amid growing controversy surrounding Munde, who has faced criticism from both allies and opposition parties following the brutal murder of Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed, last month.

Phad, a resident of Parli in Beed, was arrested last month and charged under the Arms Act after the video of him brandishing and firing a weapon went viral on social media. The video was reportedly shot during the 2023 Diwali festival. Further scrutiny revealed that Phad had been seen in a photo with Minister Munde, posted online by an activist.

As part of the ongoing investigation, the Beed police have sent proposals to the district collector to cancel the weapon licenses of Phad and two others, with the collector’s approval still pending. A formal notice has been sent to Phad informing him of the action being taken to revoke his license.

The law and order situation in Beed has worsened following Deshmukh’s murder on December 9, and the extortion case linked to it. Authorities are now reviewing all weapon licenses in the district, examining whether licensees have a legitimate need for firearms. After this review, additional proposals to cancel licenses were forwarded to the collector.