HC asks DGP to launch campaign for busting illegal fire arms

Allahabad, Aug 27 (UNI) Allahabad High Court has asked the Uttar Pradesh DGP to file an affidavit for sustained campaign to unearth the distribution and spread of illegal fire arms, ammunition, bombs and also for evolving a sustained and comprehensive strategy to control the proliferation of arms and for punishing arms offenders.

A Bench, comprising Justices Amar Saran and Shiv Shankar, asked the DGP to file the number of cases with details about the factories or other units manufacturing illicit arms and ammunition, which had been unearthed at different places in the state in the last three years.

Passing this order on a writ petition filed by Upadesh of Aurraiya district, the court has directed the DGP to give number of accused persons with details, who had been found in possession of illegal fire arms in the past one year. Besides, the progress of investigation and trial of the cases against accused involved in the manufacture, sale and distribution of illegal arms.

The DGP has to file affidavit in the HC about what mechanism already existed or was being devised for stringent compliance of this order for identification, reduction and elimination of manufacture, sale, distribution and possession of such illegal weapons and ammunition and for expeditious investigation and punishment of cases against arms offenders.

The court will hear this case on September 2. It also refused to grant relief to the petitioner, who had filed the writ petition for quashing of the FIR lodged against him on June 23, 2007 under section 5/25 of the Arms Act of police station Airwa Katra, district Aurraiya.

UNI