Doon builder externed for 6 months, arms licence revoked

Dehradun: A Dehradun-based builder has been externed by the district administration for six months following multiple complaints of intimidation and public disorder against him. His arms licence, suspended in Oct 2025, has now been revoked and the SSP has been directed to seize the weapon.

On Tuesday, district magistrate Savin Bansal, exercising powers under section 3(3) of the Uttar Pradesh/Uttarakhand Goonda Control Act, 1970, declared Puneet Agarwal a “goonda” and ordered his externment from Dehradun district.

A complaint was filed against Agarwal on April 25, 2026, by residents of ATS Colony, including DRDO scientist Hem Shikha, alleging Agarwal had launched an “aggressive and life-threatening assault” on the family of DRDO scientist Aniruddh Sharma on April 13, 2026.

The builder was constructing a wall on land owned by the municipal corporation/MDDA, and debris was falling onto Sharma’s property. When Sharma raised an objection, Agarwal allegedly hurled abuses and assaulted him. Sharma suffered a ruptured eardrum, while women and elderly members of the family were allegedly subjected to indecent behaviour and verbal abuse.

ATS Colony residents alleged that despite numerous complaints against the builder in the past, no action was taken against him. Residents claimed that “Agarwal’s conduct had consistently created an atmosphere of fear and insecurity in the locality” and that several criminal cases were already registered against him.

In the same matter, Manoj Kumar Dhaka, senior scientist and director at DRDO, also submitted a complaint demanding appropriate action.

The DM court took serious cognisance of the FIR registered at Raipur police station, video clips circulating on social media and complaints.

During the hearing, the prosecution argued that “the accused’s behaviour had become a source of fear and insecurity within the community and that, if left unchecked, it could lead to a serious untoward incident.”

The defence counsel, however, described the matter as a “personal vendetta and a civil dispute”.

The DM court’s order explicitly states: “Agarwal shall not enter the territorial limits of Dehradun district for the next six months without prior permission. Any violation of this order will result in legal proceedings against him, potentially leading to rigorous imprisonment and a monetary fine.”

Raipur police station has been directed to ensure immediate execution of the order and escort the accused out of the district within 24 hours.

In an earlier incident during Diwali, the builder had allegedly brandished a pistol at minor children and openly displayed his licensed firearm during a dispute. Following the incident, the district magistrate found Agarwal, the licence holder, guilty of “negligence” and suspended his firearm licence while confiscating the weapon.

The licence has now been revoked, and SSP Dehradun has been directed to seize his NPB .32 bore pistol. The action was initiated on the grounds that the display of a licensed weapon posed a threat to public peace. Meanwhile, the officer-in-charge (arms) at the Dehradun collectorate has been directed to record the cancellation of the licence in the arms register.

The accused builder is facing charges under various sections across five FIRs registered under BNS sections 115(2), 351(2), 352, 74, 126(2), 324(4) and 447. The allegations include assault and harassment of a DRDO scientist, assaulting the ATS RWA president while drunk, verbally abusing children, brandishing a pistol, attempting to ram his vehicle into children, using abusive language and issuing threats during a general body meeting; attempting to harass residents and RWA members by implicating them in false lawsuits and baseless allegations, and cases involving forged property registries and unauthorised encroachment on a widow’s land.