The crackdown on those involved in granting gun license to scores of individuals without proper verification of documents and background has been relentless without any discrimination but the investigating agency should expedite it on fast track basis to chargesheet and arrest them for risking lives of citizens. Central Bureau of Investigation which was tasked by the then governor N N Vohra to take on from Rajasthan ATS which unearthed the scam in 2017 and arrested over 50 accused for their alleged involvement in illegal issuance of arms licenses as 3000 permits were granted in the name of soldiers. CBI has said that more than 2.78 lakhs licenses were issued to non-entitled persons during 2012-16 spread over 20 districts of Jammu and Kashmir. Now, CBI finally zeroed in on big wig of the administration from 2016-2021, Baseer Ahmad Khan, who was chosen by former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti to be Divisional Commissioner Kashmir at a time when he was almost going to be arrest for his alleged role in Gulmarg land scam. He had his last posting as the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir and was due to retire on June 30, 2019. Later, he was retained by the Governor Satyapal Malik and oversaw the handling of the situation emerging in the wake of abrogation of Article 370. His services were extended by one year and he continued as the Divisional Commissioner till Match 2020. His stupendous and dedicated service in post-August 5, 2019 situation saw him elevated to the role of advisor to LG G C Murmu in 2020 superseding IAS and KAS officers of his batch. Had CBI not informed the Union Home Ministry about his alleged role in the racket, he might have been placed at superior status in administrative machinery and continue to dominate and drive bureaucracy in the Union Territory. The premier investigating agency apart from searches of his residence had raided 40 locations involving other officials in Delhi and Madya Pradesh. CBI accuses him of allegedly issuing thousands of fake gun licences when he served as District Magistrate of JK districts. The agency had also searched the homes of Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, who is presently Secretary of Tribal Affairs. In March 2020, CBI arrested two IAS officers, both formerly posted as District Magistrates Kupwara, Rajiv Ranjan and Itrit Hussain Rafiqi, who served as District Magistrate, Kupwara from 2013-2015 and from 2015-2016 respectively. The Union Home Ministry should be applauded for its untiring efforts to nip the evil of graft at the bud by directing CBI to expedite the case as years have passed since it was unearthed and any delay could impact objective probes of other such cases in the country. The big questions remain what happened to the licenses issued to thousands of persons who are holding arms with them. The entire process of sanctioning of arms license should be scrapped in the UT and elsewhere so that no unscrupulous element takes advantage of the situation in Kashmir.