HYDERABAD: A senior police functionary, who wanted a gun licence, had to apply to himself, as he was the authority to issue the same. Then he had to sign another order granting himself permission to buy a weapon from the `dump' of confiscated weapons from the police.

Though there is nothing illegal in the entire process, the speed with which the files have been processed and permission given has raised many an eyebrow among the IPS circles. More so because permission to buy from the confiscated dumps means that the weapon is given at a cheap rate when compared to prevailing market price.

Pointing out that `technically' there was no illegality involved in the grant of licence or permission to buy the weapon, police officials argue that the `licensing authority' could have approached the Chief Secretary for permission to set a good precedent. But this option has not been followed.

The police are known to reject applications for weapon licence citing the reason that the applicant, if aged above 60, would not be in a position to protect the weapon he carries. In one such instance, the Saroornagar division police in the Commissionerate of Cyberabad rejected the application of an old man recently.

But in case of the senior official on the wrong side of fifties, files moved fast.

Within a month of the application being submitted, an order was issued (GO Rt. No 721 dated 25.05.2005) permitting the official to possess three Non-Prohibited Bore (NPB) weapons.

Later following another application, dated 8.6.2005 for permission to buy weapon from the confiscated dump, GO Rt No 857 was issued on June 17, 2005. Incidentally, both orders had to be signed in the name of the official as he is the licensing authority.

It is not immediately known whether he found a weapon of his choice from the confiscated arms dump at the rates prescribed by the Price Fixation Committee.

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