Arms licence scam: HC gives admn last opportunity to file status report

The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has given the UT Administration a last opportunity to file a status report in the infamous arms licences scam. A Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice Tashi Rabstan and Justice Puneet Gupta, expressed displeasure over the administration’s failure to comply with earlier orders.

The Division Bench had on August 13 this year asked Senior Additional Advocate General SS Nanda, who represented the UT administration, to file the updated status report on behalf of the administration with regard to the prosecution sanction proposal sent by the UT to the Central Government.

The Division Bench further observed that notices issued to newly impleaded respondents, i.e. CBI through its Director and its Head of Branch, Special Crime Branch, Sector 30-A, Chandigarh, have not been received back served or unserved and the Division Bench in the interest of justice awaited their appearance.

The Division Bench also directed DoPT, Government of India, to submit before the court the outcome of the clarification sought from the Ministry of Home Affairs in terms of its letter dated August 8 this year before the next date of hearing.

The Division Bench, vide its order dated September 5, impleaded CBI through its Director and Superintendent of Police/Head of Branch, CBI, Chandigarh, as party respondents in the PIL and the CBI on October 15 filed comprehensive status report in the arms licences scam. The status report divulged that it has sought prosecution sanction against ten IAS officers who from 2012 to 2016 were discharging their duties in several districts of J&K as district magistrates.

The CBI has further revealed in its status report that around 2.74 lakhs gun licences were issued by the district magistrates in contravention of the Arms Act and the rules made thereunder by allegedly abusing their official positions for monetary considerations. The CBI has revealed that around 13 chargesheets have been filed in J&K against JKAS officers, gun dealers and middlemen. However, chargesheets could not be filed against IAS officers for want of prosecution sanction.

Looking into the importance of the matter, the Division Bench directed the Registry to re-notify the instant PIL on November 19.