In Pune, a shocking number of women lack arms licences despite rising crime rates
Rupali Patil from the Nationalist Congress Party pointed out that women often face crime and need better protection. But getting an arms licence is tough. Women have to jump through the same hoops as men, proving they’ve received threats.
The local collector, Jyoti Kadam, admitted that not many women apply. She said if they meet all the legal requirements, they can get a licence. But still, over 99% of licence holders in Pune are men.
Interestingly, only about 10% of these licences are for self-defence. Many people just want them for status. A female officer mentioned that while men get licences, women are often told to carry pepper spray instead.
In 2024, Pune city police even cancelled 111 firearm licences, the first time since 2019. It looks like they’re really trying to crack down on gun-related issues.