Tragic death of 12-year-old exposes illegal gun culture in north Andhra

Visakhapatnam: The recent killing of 13-year-old student A. Kaushik at Etikoppaka in Anakapalle district, involving a country-made firearm procured for poaching, has exposed the widespread possession of illegal weapons in parts of north Andhra. Police and forest officials have seized several such guns from poachers and property offenders, yet the circulation of country-made firearms continues unabated.Poachers are using these weapons to hunt wild animals across Srikakulam, Parvathipuram Manyam, Alluri Sitharama Raju (ASR), and Anakapalle districts—often during festivals or for livelihood. These hunting games have increasingly turned fatal for innocents in recent years.Between 2021 and 2023, more than 175 unlicensed firearms were seized under the Arms Act in Andhra Pradesh, according to the National Crime Records Bureau.It may be recalled that on July 28, 2025, S Nagaraju gunned down Sidiri Ramulu with a country-made gun over a property dispute at Pallapudungada village of S Kota mandal in Vizianagaram district. In another incident on August 5, 2025, a 60-year-old Simma Appa Rao was gunned down by SA Rao with a country made gun at Musiram village of Kothavalasa mandal in Vizianagaram district. Police investigations reveal that gangs in Odisha procure illegal guns from Bihar for Rs 20,000–Rs 25,000 and resell them in north Andhra for nearly double the price. Skilled blacksmiths in Andhra also manufacture and sell single-barrel muzzle loaders, which are often used not only for poaching but also to settle personal scores.A decade ago, a miscreant who was inspired by poaching techniques in the equatorial forest, claimed the life of a farmer with gunshot injury in the forest of Gangavaram locality in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh.The Anakapalle district police arrested four persons for allegedly manufacturing and selling country made firearms, specifically single-barrel muzzle loaders, in K Kotapadu mandal a few years ago. The police seized eleven country made guns from them . The investigation has revealed that poachers from parts of ASR district procure the guns from the accused for Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000. The police have appealed to people in parts of the north Andhra to voluntarily surrender their illegal country-made firearms. The police said tehy will carry out surprise raids to seize the weaposn and invovke various sections of the Arms Act against those procuring and using illegal firearms for various purposes.