| HC notice in alleged case of running gun, cartridge manufacturing units on tampered, fabricated licences | | | Bharat Bhushan
Jammu, Sept 28: In an alleged case of tempering of official records by at least five J&K gun and cartridge manufacturers and challenging the validity of licences of their units, High Court Judge, Justice Hasnain Massodi has issued a notice and directed to list the case after two weeks.
HC's Additional Solicitor General of India (ASGI) KK Pangotra accepted the notice on behalf of Union Home Ministry, New Delhi-based DIG of CBI, senior quality assurance officer (SQAO), Inspectorate of Armaments (IoA), Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, SQAO, IoA, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, and the J&K Home Department.
The notice also stands issued to district magistrate, Jammu, SSP, Jammu and Deputy Excise Commissioner, toll post, Lakhanpur.
Massodi said the ASGI had stated that the respondents "have already taken cognizance of the matter".
In the petition filed through advocate Anil Sethi by Vinay Kumar, owner of M/s Himalayan Arms Co, Gangyal, and Surat Singh, owner of M/s Jagjit Gun Works, Gangyal, under Article 226 of the Indian Constitution read with section 103 of the J&K Constitution, a prayer has been made, seeking direction to the CBI DIG to conduct a detailed probe into the allegations levelled by them against those who were running their business on the tampered and fabricated gun licences.
The duo alleged that M/s Bhargav Arms Co, Gangyal, M/s Khajuria Gun Works, Satwari and M/s Amar Workshop, Satwari, had tampered with the official records and enhanced the number of guns and cartridges actually sanctioned in their favour by the authorities concerned.
It was also alleged that M/s Friends Company, Satwari, had been manufacturing guns at a place other than the one mentioned in the licence. Another Satwari-based gun manufacturing firm -- M/s Goverdhan Lal and Sons -- was alleged to be making guns in excess of the sanctioned quota.
They also sought a probe into the validity of their own gun and cartridge manufacturing licences.
They said that pending inquiry against the five gun dealers, their licences be suspended under the prevalent Section 17(3)(b) of the Arms Act, 1959.
They alleged that manufactured guns were taken outside the State by them on invalid transport licences issued by the district magistrate, Jammu.
The petitioners alleged that because of the business rivalry with them, the five gun manufacturers had also been making false complaints against them, creating hinderance in the smooth running of their business.
They also submitted to the High Ccourt the allegedly tampered official record, copies of which were also in possession of ET. |
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