Despite rising crimes against women, few have arms licences

Out of a total 6,871 arms licence holders in Pune district, only 37 are women as per police data. This, despite the rising crimes against women. While there has been a steady demand for arms licences among men, very few women have applied for them in recent years.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Rupali Patil said, “It is true that women are often victims of crime and need better protection. However, the process of obtaining an arms licence is so stringent that very few women apply. In the district, the collector issues licences while in the city, it is handled by the police commissioner.” Furthermore, women applicants must meet the same criteria as men including proving the receipt of threats, Patil said.

Residential district collector (RDC) Jyoti Kadam acknowledged the low number of women applicants and said, “If women apply and fulfil all legal requirements, we issue licences accordingly.”

Over 99% of arms licence holders in Pune are men and this is not just the case in Pune but across Maharashtra, a Pune district official said. What’s more, only about 10% of arms licences are genuinely issued for self-defence, a senior district administration officer observed. “Most applicants seek arms licences as a status symbol, and some even use them to impress others,” the officer said.

A female officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, highlighted the gender bias in the issuance of licences. “While men are granted arms licences, the police often advise women to carry pepper spray instead,” she said.

Earlier, Hindustan Times had reported that the Pune city police cancelled 111 firearm licences in 2024. This marks the first instance of firearm licence cancellations since 2019, highlighting a renewed focus on preventing gun-related incidents.