Chhattisgarh HC Flags Knife Sales; 211 Seized After E-Commerce Crackdown
The Chhattisgarh High Court was recently informed that the State police seized 211 knives from 193 people this year. The action followed notices issued to buyers after e-commerce platforms shared customer details with the police.
Last month, the Court had taken suo motu cognizance of a news report about knives being openly sold in local shops like paan stalls and gift stores, which had led to a rise in stabbing incidents.
The police told a Division Bench of Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Bibhu Datta Guru on August 25 that they had requested websites like Amazon, Flipkart, Snapdeal, and Shopclues to share details of customers who bought knives, other than kitchen or utility knives. After receiving the data, notices were sent and the knives were seized.
The Court was also informed that in 2024, 1,399 cases were registered under the Arms Act, while 677 cases were already filed between January and June this year.
The Bench noted that the figures reflect a serious situation in society, though the State seems to be taking steps to restrict the sale of dangerous weapons both offline and online.
The Court observed, “We hope the State and its agencies remain vigilant and take positive steps to curb this menace, which will help reduce crimes under the Arms Act.” The matter will next be heard on September 22.
Advocate General Prafull N Bharat and Deputy Advocate General Shashank Thakur appeared for the State.
