Three home guard volunteers were caught armed with weapons deposited by arms licensees ahead of the assembly elections.
Sources said that the volunteers were travelling between Haldibari and Kalpara village under Selsella outpost in West Garo Hills along with arms in a police gypsy last night.
The arms carried by the volunteers still had papers with the details of ownership stuck to them were detected by members of the public in that area.
It may be mentioned that all licensed arms holders have to deposit the weapons in the police station, outpost or beat house concerned for safe custody during election period. Challans are then issued against each weapon deposited, which are then kept in the malkhana of the thana.
Meanwhile, Superintendent of Police Vivekanand Singh Rathore said a departmental action is being taken.
As investigation is going on as to how the home guards got the weapons, the detection is an embarrassment to the department as questions are being raised on how the home guard volunteers got the weapons and if they were handed to them by authorities concerned, for what purpose the guns were given.
