Starter Pistols
Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 11:33 am
Please go through the news appearing in Times of India, Mumbai edition of 12.09.2011
MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Friday directed the state to decide whether to ban the import of starter pistols after one was used to commit a crime.
A division bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar and P D Kode was hearing a petition filed by Rafiq Ahmed Yusuf Kalsekar, who was detained at Mumbai airport by the Customs after declaring five signal guns and three dominator air-guns. Kalsekar said he wanted to use them to guard his 60-acre plot in Ratnagiri district.
Kalsekar's son Ahmed bought 20 starter pistols on July 2, 2010 and 14,000 air-gun pellets on September 2010. Kalsekar claimed he had a crop protection licence and the guns to drive away crop-destroying wild animals were not banned. "They only make a sound. Air-guns are available at Crawford Market. We wanted better quality ones so we imported them,'' said Kalsekar's advocate, Tarak Sayed.
When the judges were shown a starter pistol and pellets, they asked Kalsekar why he required such a large quantity, Sayed replied that after 100-150 shots the pistols have to be thrown out. Additional public prosecutor Jayesh Yagnik said, "We feel he may sell it to others. Recently, such a weapon was used in a crime and therefore we apprehend its misuse.''
Yagnik said the matter was being examined.
"If there is a security risk, you (police) have to take a decision," said Justice Khanwilkar.
MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Friday directed the state to decide whether to ban the import of starter pistols after one was used to commit a crime.
A division bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar and P D Kode was hearing a petition filed by Rafiq Ahmed Yusuf Kalsekar, who was detained at Mumbai airport by the Customs after declaring five signal guns and three dominator air-guns. Kalsekar said he wanted to use them to guard his 60-acre plot in Ratnagiri district.
Kalsekar's son Ahmed bought 20 starter pistols on July 2, 2010 and 14,000 air-gun pellets on September 2010. Kalsekar claimed he had a crop protection licence and the guns to drive away crop-destroying wild animals were not banned. "They only make a sound. Air-guns are available at Crawford Market. We wanted better quality ones so we imported them,'' said Kalsekar's advocate, Tarak Sayed.
When the judges were shown a starter pistol and pellets, they asked Kalsekar why he required such a large quantity, Sayed replied that after 100-150 shots the pistols have to be thrown out. Additional public prosecutor Jayesh Yagnik said, "We feel he may sell it to others. Recently, such a weapon was used in a crime and therefore we apprehend its misuse.''
Yagnik said the matter was being examined.
"If there is a security risk, you (police) have to take a decision," said Justice Khanwilkar.