The norm, as per the Indian Police Service (IPS) regulations, is to inform the police headquarters if any officer receives a gift worth Rs 15,000 or more. The headquarters, in turn, inform the government. In Garg's case, the records show the transfer of an imported weapon from a certain Sushil Goyal, but in absolute violation of the laid-down rules, as Garg did not to inform his department until the Model Town shoot- out.

Goyal is a friend of Rajesh and had apparently helped him get a recommendation from Garg for procuring a license for the weapon that was used in the shoot-out which left Congress MLA Kanwar Karan Singh's brother dead.

Reacting to the fresh controversy, the DCP said: ``I will not issue any statement regarding the gun gifted to me. I am authorised to brief the press only on cases I am handling, not on cases that involve me. A formal reply in this matter will be given to the department.''

The DC even stated that if Goyal's name came up in the course of the shoot-out case ``he too will be taken to task.''

Speaking to Express Newsline, Garg stated that Goyal did not influence him in any way as far as recommending a weapon license for Rajesh was concerned. ``Goyal is a national karate champion, had a clean record and I was introduced to him in 1997 when I took over as DCP. He used to teach children and organised several welfare activities in the area,'' he said. ``I gave the recommendation in June 1998 and I took his pistol on loan in June this year. There is no relation between the two events,'' added the DCP. The ground rules that need to be adhered to by police personnel while accepting gifts are so stringent that if an officer makes a purchase of any item worth Rs 15,000 and above, the department has to be informed. The ceiling laid down was initially Rs 5,000 but was later raised to Rs 15,000 as the authorities were flooded with letters to be forwarded to the government.

Garg said he applied for a weapon from the Ordnance Factory but as that was taking time and he was under threat, he borrowed the pistol from Goyal. He added that as soon as Goyal's name came up in the shoot-out, he had applied to the licensing department to transfer the pistol back to Goyal.

The actual case of the shoot-out has almost lost itself in the midst of these recent developments. The police have arrested three persons named in the FIR but are yet to arrest Rajesh and Vishal. Both of them are accused of having fired from their weapons that evening.

Will the DCP gun-scandal muddle further investigations in the case? Garg does not agree. ``I have put more than my normal resources into getting the case solved. Some breakthrough is expected soon,'' he said.