A 22-year-old man from Gonda district was detained at Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in Lucknow on Friday morning after a country-made pistol was discovered in his check-in luggage during pre-boarding security screening.
Incident Details
The passenger, identified as Mahesh Kumar Chauhan, a resident of Chandpur Lakhpatrai village under Mankapur police limits, was booked on Air India Express flight IX-193 from Lucknow to Dubai, scheduled to depart at 5:45 am with seat number 26B. The incident came to light around 4 am during routine X-ray screening of checked-in baggage at the terminal. Security personnel noticed a restricted item in one of the bags. Upon physical inspection, they found a 12-bore country-made pistol concealed inside the hold luggage.
Police Action
Airport authorities alerted the Sarojini Nagar police, who took Chauhan into custody and seized the firearm. Police confirmed that the pistol was operational. Based on a complaint lodged by an airport security supervisor, an FIR was registered at Sarojini Nagar police station under Sections 3 and 25 of the Arms Act.
During preliminary questioning, Chauhan reportedly failed to provide a satisfactory explanation regarding the source of the weapon or the purpose for carrying it while travelling abroad. The accused was heading to Dubai for a semi-skilled labour job.
