Cache of arms seized in raid at shop, Dombivli BJP leader held

An office-bearer of the Dombivli unit of the BJP was arrested after police raided his fashion accessories store and recovered around 170 weapons, including air guns, swords and knives, an official said Wednesday.

The raid was conducted at the shop located in Tilak Nagar area in Dombivli on Monday night and the shop owner- Dhananjay Kulkarni (49)- was arrested early Tuesday morning, the official said.

The BJP confirmed that Kulkarni is the vice president of the party's Dombivli unit.

"Following a tip-off, the raid was conducted at Tapasya House of Fashion, which sells fashion accessories and cosmetic products," Sanju John, senior inspector of Kalyan unit of Thane Crime Branch, said.

"Around 170 weapons, including eight air guns, 10 swords, 38 press button knives, 25 choppers, nine kukris, nine guptis (bladed weapon concealed in a wooden case), five knives, three axes and one sickle, were recovered from the shop," he added.

These weapons were kept on sale at the shop, he added.

"The seized weapons are collectively worth Rs 1.86 lakh. The outlet has been in operation since the last over seven months," the official said.

"Kulkarni had procured the arms from Crawford Market in south Mumbai, as well as from Punjab and Rajasthan," John added.

Kulkarni was Tuesday produced before a local court, which remanded him in judicial custody, police said.

When contacted, BJP's Dombivli unit president Sanjay Bidwadkar said Kulkarni is currently the vice president of the unit and also its committee member.

"We still don't know exactly why he has been arrested. The material seized from his shop is antique and there nothing more to it," Bidwadkar said.

Further investigation into the case was on.