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How a 'Katta' from Munger was used to kill dental student in Kerala

Kerala was shocked last week when 32-year-old Rakhil shot dead dental student Manasa PV before turning the gun on himself at Nellikuzhy in Kothamangalam. Investigations have revealed how the weapon was procured from Munger in Bihar, which specialises in making country-made weapons. 

Katta from Munger was used to kill dental student Manasa in Kerala-VPN
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Thiruvananthapuram, First Published Aug 8, 2021, 12:33 PM IST

Kerala was shocked last week when 32-year-old Rakhil shot dead dental student Manasa PV before turning the gun on himself at Nellikuzhy in Kothamangalam.

But the bigger question before investigators was where did Rakhil get the gun from. Turns out, the answer lay 2,820 kilometres away from the crime scene, in Bihar's Munger village.

The case has once again brought Munger, notorious for its illegal gun factories, back into the spotlight.

Former Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar told Asianet News that Munger was the hub of illegal arms deals in the country. 

Neeraj Kumar, a native of Bihar, narrated how manufacturing guns is a cottage industry today in Munger.

"There was an ordnance factory in Munger. But it was later closed down. Many of the trained workers who worked there later started making their own guns. Currently, it is a cottage industry there. Although several raids were carried out in the area and many people were arrested, the flow of guns from there did not slow down," he said.

It is estimated that there are currently over 200 small counterfeit gun manufacturing facilities operating in Munger. Many of these specialise in making single-shot pistols, commonly known as 'Kattas', that sell for anywhere between Rs 2000-Rs 5000.

Neeraj Kumar stressed upon the need for regular inspections. 

According to initial investigations in the Kothamangalam case, Rakhil allegedly procured the weapon through Sonu Kumar, who hails from Parsando village in Munger, and another accused Maneesh Kumar. Both Sonu and Maneesh are in custody at the moment.

Police said that a payment of Rs 35,000 was made for purchasing the 7.62 mm countrymade pistol used to kill the dental house surgeon. 

According to sources, women and children are often used as gun-runners by racketeers in Munger to avoid suspicion. 

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