Samajwadi Party logo. (File( Samajwadi Party logo. (File(

Uttar Pradesh government has ordered an inquiry into how semi-automatic MP5 guns were issued to Samajwadi Party MLC Rakesh Yadav’s security detail during the previous regime. According to rules, officials claimed, the MP5 submachine gun is exclusively issued to National Security Guard (NSG) and Z-plus protectees, and security detail of top police officers.

Yadav had been given Y-category security in November. It was later revoked around the Assembly elections earlier this year.

“Four persons, claiming to be Azamgarh BJP workers, had lodged a complaint with the CM’s office in Lucknow in April alleging that then Superintendent of Police (without mentioning the name) had deployed two of his own police gunners with MP5 guns as security for SP MLC Rakesh Yadav,” said Ajay Kumar Sahni, SP, Azamgarh. The complaint later was forwarded to DGP Sulkhan Singh who recently ordered Sahni to inquire into the case.

IPS officer Kuntal Kishor, commandant of 26 PAC Battalion, was the SP, Azamgarh, from September 2016 till January this year.

“So far the inquiry has found that two gunners with Yadav had MP5 guns for about three months while he was having Y-category security. The guns were later taken back from them. We are scanning documents to find out on whose directions the guns were issued. We will also inquire into whether the the two gunners were trained to handle the weapon,” said the SP.

As per records, the MP5 guns were issued when Kishor was posted as SP, Azamgarh, he added.

Kuntal Kishor, meanwhile, has denied having ordered MP5 guns to the legislator’s security detail or deploying his gunners. Sahni said, they would record the statements of all the persons concerned.

Sahni added they were trying to locate the four complainants, who have not mentioned their contact details in the complaint, to record their statements.

MLC Yadav, meanwhile, has admitted that his gunners were briefly issued MP5 guns.

“The two MP5 guns were issued to my two gunners because carbines available at the reserve police lines were not functioning. The guns were taken back after around two months,” he said.

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