Shooters no longer to use air rifles and pistols for training
| Written on 31 May, 2011 at 11:24 in Sports I
New Delhi: Shooters can no longer use or posses air rifles and air pistols for their training and competitions without getting a proper license. The Delhi high court has quashed a 1962 government notification that exempted the air rifle and air pistols from all the regulations and controls under the Arms Act, 1959, including the requirement of a valid license.
A Bench of Justice AK Sikri and Justice S Muralidhar rejected the National Rifle Association of India’s argument that air guns used for target practice were not firearms as defined under the Act, but were merely toys and as such these did not fall under the purview of the licensing regime.
“It is safe to conclude that air guns, air rifles, air pistols are not mere toys…and they are very much subject to the provisions of the Act, being firearms,” the Bench said.
On a petition filed by People for Animals, the HC had in 2002 quashed the July 13, 1962 notification exempting air guns from the requirement of license. PFA had argued that these arms were used for killing or maiming animals and birds.
But NRAI filed a petition seeking review of the order on the ground that these were not firearms and therefore license is not required.
Maintaining that no citizen had a blanket right to carry firearms, the court said nobody; even NRAI members could claim a right to secure a license. “They have, at best a right to apply for, and be considered for the grant of a license, subject to fulfillment of the prescribed qualifications.”
The court took note of the subsequent developments in the field of law, including the enactment of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 to justify its decision.
This is a major setback for the shooters. Aspiring shooters who use to make an entry into shooting sports through the 10 meter events will now find it much more difficult to get started. The age restriction to obtain a fire arms license will certainly hamper the growth of shooting sports in India. The age to get an arms license is 21 years in India but shooters like to buy the equipment and get started much earlier. Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra started shooting the 10 meter air rifle event when he was only 13 years old.
Regards.
