Founder-president of the pro-Kannada outfit Jaya Karnataka, Muthappa Rai, presented himself before the Central Crime Branch (CCB) police on Saturday in response to a note they issued him.
The notice was issued after a video of Rai and his family performing Ayudha puja to his guns and other sharp weapons went viral.
Rai presented himself before the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Organised Crime Wing (OCW), and explained that the weapons belonged to security men who he hired for personal protection.
The police, however, pointed out that the licence for firearms was issued to the men to protect themselves and they cannot use the weapons to protect Rai. A senior police official noted that the licence is only for self-defence or use of arms to protect oneself and not to protect others.
Following Rai’s revelation, the police are examining the gun licence rules to see if the security men he hired have acted in violation of the rules.
“If we find any violation of the gun licence laws or misuse, we’ll take appropriate action, including cancellation of the gun licences,” the police official said.
Police sources also said Rai could not adequately explain the other lethal weapons on display in the puja video.