Blinkit Under Police Scanner for Delivering Knives Used in Murders

You can order groceries, electronics, and apparently, a prohibited weapon—all in under ten minutes.

The convenience of quick-commerce has hit a severe legal roadblock in the capital. Delhi Police have officially registered an FIR against Blinkit, pushing the platform under a heavy scanner following a crackdown by the West District police. The charge? Violating government notifications under the Arms Act by facilitating the sale of illegal, over-sized knives—weapons directly linked to recent homicides.

The Khyala Connection and the Test Purchase

The investigation stems from two separate murder cases in Khyala, West Delhi. During interrogation, the accused disclosed a chillingly modern logistical detail: the knives used in the killings were procured through the Blinkit app.

This disclosure forced law enforcement to pivot from a standard homicide investigation to a platform liability probe. To verify the claims, Delhi Police officers went undercover as consumers. They placed an order for a Stanley knife through the platform.

The delivered product confirmed their suspicions. It was a "gararidar" knife—a manually opened and closed spring-mechanism blade. More importantly, it breached strict legal dimensions. Under Indian government notification, the maximum permissible blade length for civilian sale is 7.62 cm with a width of 1.72 cm. The knife Blinkit delivered measured 8 cm in length and 2.5 cm in width, officially classifying it as an illegal arm.

Raids, Seizures, and the Compliance Failure

Following the test purchase, an FIR was registered at the Khyala Police Station, triggering targeted raids across the quick-commerce giant's supply chain.

On February 15, police recovered 16 knives from various Blinkit dark stores across Delhi. The sweep expanded the following day, yielding an additional 32 illegal knives from a centralized warehouse in Farrukhnagar, Gurugram. With a total of 50 prohibited weapons seized, the narrative has shifted from an isolated vendor error to a systemic inventory blindspot.

But how does a tech unicorn inadvertently stockpile and distribute illegal weapons?

The reality highlights a structural loophole in the hyper-growth e-commerce sector. As platforms race to expand their non-grocery inventory to boost average order values, compliance checks often lag behind catalog expansion. Vendors upload hardware tools—like Stanley utility knives—without stringent automated filters checking against Arms Act dimension thresholds. (Note: Blinkit’s official corporate response and internal audit restructuring protocols remain unknown at the time of reporting).

What Happens Next?

This FIR serves as a critical warning shot for the entire quick-commerce industry. The Delhi Police investigation is currently expanding to assess whether similar prohibited items are being distributed through rival platforms.

If tech platforms want to function as the ultimate logistical infrastructure for Indian cities, they must adopt the regulatory responsibilities that come with it. Speed cannot be an excuse for bypassing the Arms Act.

FAQ: The Blinkit Illegal Knife Controversy

Why did Delhi Police file an FIR against Blinkit? Police filed an FIR after discovering that Blinkit was selling "gararidar" knives that exceeded the legally permissible dimensions under the Arms Act, which were subsequently linked to two murder cases in West Delhi.

What are the legal limits for selling knives in India? According to government notification, a legally permissible knife must have a maximum blade length of 7.62 cm and a maximum width of 1.72 cm. The seized knives measured 8 cm by 2.5 cm.

How many knives were seized by the authorities? A total of 50 illegal knives were seized—16 from various dark stores in Delhi and 32 from a Blinkit warehouse in Farrukhnagar, Haryana.