Does anyone know what matter/case is being heard by the Supreme Court, where this issue of arms licences has come up?The Supreme Court today said the power of granting arms licences have been misused even as the Centre said steps are being taken to put in place within two months checks and balances to curb unchecked sale and issuance of licences. "The power of issuing licences for fire arms have been misused," a Bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justice P Sathasivan said.
It asked the Centre to place before it the policy for regulating sale of firearms and granting arms licences within four weeks and posted the matter for hearing on October 9. The Bench deferred the hearing (?) after Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium assured rules having checks and balances on the issue would be put in place within two months. He said since the issue has all India ramification, all state governments are being asked to look into it and their responses are being considered.
-- Tue Sep 08, 2009 3:03 pm --
Okay I found it. The case is two years old and was filed by advocate Arvind Kumar Sharma who urged the court to issue directions for an independent investigation into the illegal sale of arms licences.
Indian Express
The petition, which came up before the Bench of Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justice R V Raveendran in 2007, contended that even officials of the licensing department were involved in the scandal. No verification about the antecedents of the person to whom the licences were issued was being carried out. The petitioner feared that such unchecked issuance of arms license to unscrupulous persons with dubious track records had led to a sharp rise in terror activities in the country.
Terming it a serious matter, the petitioner further submitted that there was a report by the District Collector of Sriganganagar in Rajasthan which stated that officials and staff of the Arms Licence Department were involved in the racket and arms were being provided to anti-social elements as well as to anti-national elements.
The petitioner asked the court to issue directions for a thorough investigation by an independent investigating agency like CBI. He submitted a list of 40 Army personnel, including senior officers of the rank of Major Generals and Brigadiers, who were facing allegations of selling their service arms to arms dealers, posing a grave threat to the country.
