The ordinance allowing convicted lawmakers to contest elections may have been withdrawn, but as many as 18 MPs, former MPs and politicians with criminal cases pending against them have procured guns over the past decade. Currently, 162 of the 543 Lok Sabha MPs have pending criminal cases against them, and as many as 72 MPs stand to lose their seats if they are convicted.

Former Samajwadi Party MP Atique Ahmed, who has 44 criminal cases pending against him, owns a Ruger Rifle M-77 Mark 11, 30.06mm as of December 2006. The sale value of the weapon is Rs 3.15 lakh. Ahmed is facing six murder charges, the same number of attempt to murder charges, two charges of kidnapping or abducting in order to murder and three extortion charges. He has 26 serious charges under IPC pending against him. Ahmed was a member of the 14th Lok Sabha from Phulpur constituency in UP. In 2009, Ahmed unsuccessfully contested on an Apna Delhi party ticket from Pratapgarh.

Samajwadi Party MP Rakesh Sachan, who has seven criminal cases pending against him, owns a P-Beretta pistol valued at Rs 2,10,000. He is facing one charge of attempt to murder, one of kidnapping in order to murder. These facts were revealed in response to an RTI filed by an activist of the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). Sachan represents Fatehpur.

BSP MP Brajesh Pathak is facing charges of attempt to murder, one of kidnapping, and abduction in order to murder. He owns a 7.65mm Czech Pistol 047251 having sale value of Rs 80,000. Pathak is a member of the Rajya Sabha.

SP’s Maharashtra state president and former Rajya Sabha MP Abu Asim Azmi has seven cases pending against him; he has been charged with voluntarily causing grievous hurt, cheating and forgery. Azmi owns a 9mm Pistol, PPK, .380 bore having sale value of Rs 3 lakh.

Dayabhai Patel, a former Congress MP from Daman and Diu, owns a .32 bore revolver having sale value of Rs 70,000. He has one case pending against him and facing charges related to cheating. BJP Vice President and former MP from Odisha, Jual Oram, is facing one criminal case of wrongful restraint. He owns a .32 bore revolver having sale value of Rs 51,535.

BSP MP Rakesh Pandey has three criminal cases against him that include charges of murder, kidnapping for ransom, harbouring offender, house trespass after preparation to hurt. He owns S&W revolver worth Rs 1,00,000. Pandey was elected to the Lok Sabha from Ambedkar Nagar in UP in 2009.

BJP MP Ravindra Kumar Pandey from Jharkhand is facing one case having charges of rioting and wrongful restraint. He owns a .32 bore revolver having sale value of Rs15,650.

BSP MP Kapil Muni Karwariya owns a Ruger revolver .357 Magnum worth Rs 95,000. He is facing four criminal cases—charges are attempt to murder, theft, cheating and dishonesty in inducing delivery of property.

Former SP MP Afzal Ansari owns a .32 bore pistol worth Rs 1,50,000. Facing four cases, he has been charged with murder and attempt to murder. With two criminal cases against him, charges against former Congress MP Saiduzzaman include theft after preparation made for causing death, hurt or restraint. He owns a 7.65 mm Walther pistol worth Rs 1,00,000. Congress leader and former SP MP Dharamraj Singh faces three cases. He owns a .32 bore revolver worth Rs 23,800.