Cops book Blinkit for sale of prohibited knives

NEW DELHI: Delhi Police have registered a case against quick-commerce platform Blinkit for allegedly selling prohibited knives in violation of the Arms Act, recovering 50 such knives from its stores and a warehouse in Delhi and Haryana.

According to police, an FIR dated February 14 was lodged under Sections 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act at Khyala Police Station after officers scrutinised online platforms offering knives for sale. During the inspection, Blinkit was found to be listing knives for purchase online.

To verify the legality of the items, police placed an order for a Stanley knife through the platform. After delivery, the knife was examined and identified as a “gararidar” type that can be opened and closed manually.

Measurements showed the blade exceeded the government’s notified limits. While the permissible blade length is 7.62 cm and the maximum width 1.72 cm, the seized knife measured 8 cm in length and 2.5 cm in width, rendering it illegal under the notification.

On February 15, police searched several Blinkit stores in Delhi and recovered 16 knives.

The following day, a raid at a Blinkit warehouse in Farrukhnagar, Gurugram, led to the seizure of 32 more, taking the total to 50.

Further investigation is under way to fix responsibility and examine compliance checks.