HC directs UP DMs to review arms licenses

Allahabad, July 23 (UNI) The Allahabad High Court has directed all the district magistrates of the state to continue with the excercise of reviewing the eligibility of people to hold arms licenses.

A Bench comprising Justices Imtiyaz Murtaza and Amar Saran has directed that the review shall be conducted by the district magistrates within a period of three months and orders may be passed for suspending or revoking the licences or getting the fire arms deposited after considering the individual cases according to law.

November 19 has been fixed the next hearing of the case. The Judges however, made it clear that court was specially concerned that the people who were involved in grave criminal cases be the first targets of this campaign to rid of the society of the menace and terror caused by such mafias and criminal elements.

Earlier in the affidavit filed by Uttar Pradesh government it had been stated that 3,086 fire arms licences were suspended and 1,23,827 fire arms licences were got deposited during the general Assembly election in pursuance of the court's order.

It was further stated that out of 10,02,683 fire arm licences in the state, 3,16,320 cases were reviewed and thereafter the orders of suspension or for deposit was passed. The court has asked home secretary to file compliance report after obtaining reports from all the district magistrates.

UNI