Nagpur: YouTube tutorials aid man in illegal gun manufacturing, probe on

During the investigation into Ramakant Dhurve, who was apprehended for operating an illicit revolver manufacturing unit at his residence, it was discovered that he acquired his skills by watching instructional videos on YouTube. In the very first attempt, Ramakant had made three country-made pistols within a short span of time.

The Kalamna police conducted a raid at Ramakant's residence on the night of June 22, uncovering a cache of illegal items. Among the seized items were three country-made pistols, 13 live cartridges, 6 empty cartridges, an airgun, 108 air gun shrapnel, three swords, two knives, a spear, a fighter, gunpowder, along with iron cleaning spray, gas refill, and an iron heating cylinder, collectively valued at 1.30 lakh. It was revealed that Ramakant had completed a fitter course from ITI and was previously employed in a private company.

Based on his work and the recovered materials, the police have determined that Ramakant manufactured the items himself. Due to the possibility of Ramakant's affiliation with a larger organization or criminals, the police conducted a thorough investigation into the matter.

Ramakant has stated to the police that between 2016 and 2017, he discovered abandoned revolvers and cartridges in a bag near the railway tracks. Upon bringing them home, he attempted to fire the revolver but was unsuccessful due to the cartridge's large size. Subsequently, he made the decision to create kattas in order to utilize the cartridges.

While staying at home during the lockdown, he began crafting kattas. He dismantled the revolver and familiarized himself with its design, then proceeded to create kattas by following instructional videos on YouTube.