Bhandari’s pistol recovered

GANGTOK, 08 July: The pistol reported missing by the Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee president Nar Bahadur Bhandari some days back has been recovered. The recovery was reported by Mr. Bhandari to the police on 06 June, a few days after he filed an FIR reporting it missing. It is informed that the loaded pistol was found in his house itself, dispelling any fears that it may have been stolen by miscreants. Meanwhile, the weapon, it is informed, has been seized by the police and the matter is to be investigated as to how the firearm, licensed to Mr. Bhandari for security purposes, went missing in the first place. 

Bhandari’s pistol goes missing

GANGTOK, 02 July: A pistol belonging to the president of Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee [SPCC], Nar Bahadur Bhandari, has gone missing from his house.
Speaking to NOW! over the phone, Mr Bhandari informed that he keeps his pistol, which is of German make, at his house at Church Road, Gangtok.  “I had gone out of station for two days [29 and 30 June] on personal work and returned on 01 July. When I returned I could not find my pistol,” he said.
There is a police guard posted at the house 24 hours and without his permission no outsiders are not allowed to enter the house, he said and added that only family members were present in the house and even his daughter was away at Malbasey.
The pistol, he informed is loaded and has seven bullets. He further informed that he was happy that the police, including the Superintendent of Police [East], have taken the case seriously and were doing everything possible as per the law.
The complaint lodged by Mr Bhandari states that he had gone out of station and that on his return on 01 July, found his pistol missing from the place where he had left it. Not being able to trace the gun, he filed a complaint at the Sadar Police Station on 02 July.
There are no signs of forced entry into the room, so it could be the handiwork of an insider, informed the PI Sadar Police Station, Tshering Sherpa. He further said that this was a personal gun [German .32 pistol] kept by Mr Bhandari and the license is valid till 2013 and added that the police are looking into the matter and carrying out investigations.
A case under section 380 [theft in a dwelling house] of the Indian Penal Code has been registered at the Sadar Police Station.