Order reserved on Erode woman’s plea seeking gun licence

Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana, before whom the plea moved by V Kalyani of Erode seeking to direct the District Revenue Officer (DRO) to renew her gun licence, reserved orders without announcing a date.

Kalyani had contended that in 1988 she obtained a gun licence and was renewing the same periodically as directed. But in 2016, the District Revenue Officer refused to renew her licence on the basis that her husband and mother possessed a gun licence and hence she would not be eligible for the same.

Submitting that the reason for refusal of licence on such a basis was beyond the scope of rules spelt out in the Arms Act, sought the court to set aside the DROs order and provide her with a gun licence.

However, during the hearing, the DRO in a counter submitted that since both her husband and mother are in possession of a licence, there was no need for her to possess a gun. The reason cited by the petitioner, that she has purchased an upgraded gun alone cannot suffice as a reason for grant of licence and that the same gun can be handed over either to her husband or mother who have a licence.

But the counsel appearing for the petitioner submitted that the petitioner owns an estate in Sathyamangalam forest and there are days when she lives alone in that place and hence needs a gun for her protection. The reasons offered by the DRO to renew the licence she possessed since 1988 was against the prescribed laws, he argued.

To this, the judge wondered as to why the woman needs a licence while her husband and mother with a gun licence are there to protect her. Also, when the judge asked a pointed question about the number of times, she had used the gun since 1988, the counsel’s reply of not even once, prompted the judge to ask as to why she needs a licence for a gun, when she has not even used once.

In response, the counsel submitted that the petitioner is used to firing in the air to disperse the birds destroying the crops in her estate. To this, the judge remarked “for this purpose she can use a gun used by children during Deepavali.”